The Loophole
by ThePureWhiteFeather
Summary: [Starts in Season 2] When she came to Mystic Falls because of her best friend and her family, Audrey never expected to find herself in the midst of vampires, werewolves, witches and doppelgängers. Between having the same face as another girl and having the oldest vampires in history after them, she realizes that she's in mess that she can't seem to get out of.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to _The Vampire Diaries_ or its characters and story. I'm just having fun with it and with my own characters.

 **Summary:** [Starts in Season 2] When she came to Mystic Falls because of her best friend and her family, Audrey never expected to find herself in the midst of vampires, werewolves, witches and doppelgängers. Between having the same face as another girl and having the oldest vampires in history after them, she realizes that she's in mess that she can't seem to get out of.

 **I know the summary isn't that much but bear with it please. At least until I can write another one. There are also a few things that you should have in mind before you begin reading this story:**

 **-First of all, English isn't my first language. So if there any mistakes (grammatical, in the tenses and all of that), point it out and I'll fix it immediately. So, I'll apologize in advance if there are any.**

 **-If this story seems familiar to any of you, it's because there was once a story with a plot like the one I'm using. The story was unfortunately removed and I was extremely sad with it so I decided to begin writing this.**

 **-I know many people don't like OC's and I get that everyone has their own tastes so I just want to inform you that this story has TWO main OC's and two side ones. There will probably be other OC's mentioned at some point but the story will revolve around the main two and the characters from the show.**

 **-I also realize that there are many 'Elena's-twin' stories out there and this one won't be one of those. I liked the whole doppelgänger stuff and I just wanted to add one more to the mix. As if there aren't enough of them. xD Yes, one of the main OC's is a doppelgänger if the summary hasn't cleared that out but she's not necessarily related to Elena. It'll be explained later on in the story.**

 **-One last thing: this is basically an experiment. I haven't written anything in a** _ **big**_ **while and I wanted to start again. And the result was this story. And also because I love the series and I wanted a story in which I could change things without having a character that knows** _ **what**_ **happens in the future.**

 **If, after all that, you're still interested in reading this, I hope you'll like and enjoy reading this. The updating schedule isn't planned out yet but once I get how I'm going to work this out I'll be sure to let you all know.**

 **And finally, on to the story.**

 **Xxx**

 **The Loophole**

 **By:**

 **ThePureWhiteFeather**

 **Xxx**

 **Chapter One**

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 **[AUDREY]**

 **WHEN** her best friend's parents told her that they'd be moving back to their hometown, Audrey wasn't expecting them to invite her to come with them.

Sure, she spent more time in their house than in her own and that she considered the couple to be family but moving in with them? _Actually live_ under their roof? She hadn't been sure if that was such a good idea. Sophie – her best friend – was ecstatic with the whole idea and immediately started to try and convince her to agree. Sophie's parents had assured her that her parents already knew and had agreed (with enthusiasm, she figured). But even so, she felt a little bit awkward in accepting. One part of her brain said to go on with it and the other told her to go back to her parents because they were her _parents_ , her _legal guardians_. _You're seventeen_ , her mother had grumbled while she worked on her report, _you know how to take care of yourself so you can do whatever you want._

And here she was now, looking out of the window of the Carson's car and watching as the sun began to set, bathing everything in a soft red and orange glow.

And her eyes were drawn to the plaque that had four words printed on it as they passed a bridge.

"Welcome to Mystic Falls, Audrey!" Ethan – Sophie's dad and the one driving – exclaimed the very words that she reading mentally, looking at her for a second with a grin.

Mystic Falls was a… quiet town. From what Sophie had told her, she had expected a big city with way to many shops to count and filled with people. Mystic Falls was small and there wasn't that many people in the streets. Audrey liked this version of Mystic Falls more than the one in her friend's point of view. The streets weren't filled with cars either and she liked how there were actual trees growing healthily from the grass. She liked to think that even though she lived in New York for seventeen years, she still enjoyed many small towns and farms.

And Mystic Falls may just end up becoming her favorite small town.

"What do you think, sweetie?" Mary – Sophie's mom - asked, a smile on her lips as she too looked outside the window.

From beside her, Audrey heard Sophie grumble something that seemed like, "It's smaller than I remember."

Her mother rolled her eyes and the only brunette in the car smiled when mother and daughter began bickering back and forth. It was this kind of relationship she had wanted with her own mother at some point in her life but the woman was like stone. She refused to show any emotion to anyone because it made her, and Audrey quotes: "Being emotional makes me seem weak and I can't look like that to my competition." The teen was actually glad that she was away from them and that she only had to visit on some weekends and on her breaks. It was her father that had suggested it and since she got along better with him, Audrey had accepted. But sometimes she wonders why exactly her father married a woman like that.

She may never know.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. She climbed out of the car and admired the house. It was a two store house with a small garden in front. She had never lived in an isolated house before. Audrey always lived in an apartment in the middle of New York. She never got to feel what it was to have pets or quietness. She felt a smile twitch in her lips. She as finally going to be able to sleep without the sound of cars and people in the middle of the night.

She was really glad she accepted to come with the Carsons.

Audrey picked up her bags from the trunk and let Mary guide her through the front door into the hallway, where there were many photographs and paintings on the walls. She also looked into the living room and saw that it wasn't necessarily big but it had the space for a whole family. This house was twenty times better than the apartment she had lived in.

"Our room is upstairs. Come on."

She followed her friend upstairs and into the very last room of the corridor. The room was slightly bigger than she imagined with two beds against the far wall and a fairly large window between them. There were also two dresses which she supposed was one for each of them. The dark haired girl sat down in one of the beds and looked around as Sophie rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"I know it's not as big as yours, but…"

"I think it's perfect," Audrey gave the smaller girl a smile. She looked around the white walls, seeing many pictures of the two of them. This was clearly her best friend's room. "I think I may like this room better than my own back home. Even the manga and figurines."

Sophie grinned, her cheeks turning a rosy color. "Well, you know how I am. Seventeen and in love with cartoon and toys."

The two teenagers started to put their clothes away and to put everything ready for the next day, since Mary was going to put them in school so they could finish High School and go to College. Audrey didn't mind it but Sophie began complaining with her mother to the point of getting a door slammed in her face. The dark haired girl actually liked to be in school. It was the best quiet place she could find back home and she hoped that it would be the same.

"You can put those in the bathroom," Sophie spoke up pointing towards the second door of the room, noticing her picking the small bag that carried her personal hygiene products.

With a thank you, Audrey walked inside the small bathroom and placed the bag right beside the mirror, looking up to her reflection. She never really saw herself as out of the ordinary. She actually thought that she was pretty dull - despite Sophie telling her that she got many attention - with dark curled brown hair and doe chocolate eyes. It was pretty much the simplest combination to ever exist. Not that she minded. She didn't pay any mind to romance or relationships. Having to work for your parents can change a teen's ideals in a heartbeat, especially with strict ones. She let out a small sigh and then proceeded to scold herself.

 _Stop looking into the mirror like some narcissist._

With a nod, she walked out and the two went downstairs for dinner.

 **Xxx**

Next morning, Mary brought them with her to enroll in school.

Mystic Falls High School was as normal as it could get.

Well, as normal as it _can be_. Because it's not fun when you enter it and students _smile_ at you like they've known you forever and call you by a name that isn't yours. And they have the nerve of looking confused when she simply gives them a weird look. Who the heck is 'Elena' anyway? And why was this happening? Audrey _really_ tried – and she means it – to ignore the gestures she was receiving from people she _never knew before_ but she was _this_ close to snapping. Sophie was trying in vain to keep her calm and Mary… well, Mary had this nervous look on her face when she looked between the students and Audrey herself. What was _that_ about?

"Just ignore them, Audrey," the blond woman murmured. She gave what Audrey thought to be a weak attempt of a smile.

It was hard to ignore when people call you by a different name _every single time._ But the girl nodded anyway, giving a nasty glare towards a girl who called her once again by the wrong name. Audrey rubbed her temples. It was way too early in the morning to be doing this. The three continued on their way and when they did reach the office, Mary went in after telling the two girls to stay put.

"They keep smiling at you. It's creepy as hell," Even Sophie looked like she was beginning to feel annoyed.

"Tell me about it," She was getting tired of the stares. Was it going to be like this all the time? She hoped not. Mary came out of the office and Audrey quickly reached her side. "Is it done?"

The woman seemed to snap out of whatever she was thinking but she still looked a bit pale. "Yes, yes…" Mary turned to her daughter, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. "Unfortunately, I was unable to place you two in the same class."

"Really?" Sophie seemed to be sulking. "Damn it."

"Here's the paper with your classes and the classroom where you have to go," Mary gave the small paper to both girls before turning to her daughter once more. "Can you find your classroom on your own? I need to speak with Audrey for a moment."

Said girl rose an eyebrow in surprise. What could be so important that she had to know that Sophie couldn't hear?

But the smaller girl didn't look offended at all and nodded determinately. "Don't worry about me!" She assured then and began skipping through the empty hallway, shouting over her shoulder, "I'll see you when school ends, 'Dreya! See you later, Mom!"

Audrey rolled her eyes at the nickname. Sophie had begun calling her that when they were kids and didn't manage to stop doing it, even if Audrey threatened her with something. It just stuck. But she never really got used to it. In the meantime, Mary just smiled after her daughter's retreating figure and turned to face the dark haired girl with an uneasy look.

Audrey couldn't help but ask. "Mary, is everything alright?" The woman had asked her to call her Mom but the teen felt really awkward in doing it so she just decided to call her by name. "You've been looking really pale this morning. Is something wrong?"

"No, no! Everything's fine. It's just-" Mary stopped herself from saying any further and grabbed the teen's shoulder gently. The woman began pushing her towards what Audrey hoped to be her classroom. "I have something I have to tell you before you go inside your classroom."

"What is it?"

She didn't get an answer immediately but when they reached one of the classroom's door, the blonde woman met her brown orbs with the grey blue ones that her daughter had inherited. "I just wanted to tell you… That inside there you'll— I'm very happy that you've decided to come with us to Mystic Falls," Audrey blinked at the sudden change of subject but didn't interrupt. "And I hope you enjoy staying here with us. But _remember_ :" Mary leaned close and squeezed her shoulders tightly. "If you _ever_ want to go back to New York, tell us, okay?"

"Mary, what is—"

" _Tell us_ ," the woman pressed, her tone more serious than Audrey ever heard before. "And we'll take you back immediately, okay?"

Audrey tried once again to speak. "But Mary, what's wro—"

" _Promise me!"_

Unable to say anything, the teen nodded. She could see the woman's body relaxing at her nod and wondered why Mary seemed so nervous. Why would she want to go back to New York? Mystic Falls was ten times better. But the way Mary had spoken… she had almost seemed afraid, or scared. Audrey snorted mentally. Why would she be scared of a quiet town like Mystic Falls?

There couldn't possibly be anything wrong in a small town like this.

"Thank you," The woman sounded so _relieved_ and the dark haired girl couldn't understand _why_. But then again, everything went wrong with her so why shouldn't a new life here go to? "Now go on and make friends, okay?"

Mary sounded like a mother sending their child to school for the first time and it made the girl smile in amusement. "Don't worry about me," she tried to reassure her new guardian. "Everything will be fine."

The blonde woman looked like she was going to object but seemed to decide against it and just give her a big hug before walking away. Audrey wasn't used to such affectionate actions but didn't mind it because she was sure Mary needed it more than her. For whatever reasons that she'll most likely never know. She waved at the retreating back and smiled when blue eyes looked over a shoulder to look at her for a second before the woman disappeared from view.

Now, for the hardest thing in her life.

Facing the first day of school.

 _God, why don't you just kill me now?_

Taking deep breaths, she knocked on the door twice and when the teacher came to open it, she saw his eyes widen to the point that they looked like they were going to pop out and his mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"Um, I'm the new student?" The teacher still didn't react so Audrey decided to show him the paper that Mary had given her before. "See?"

He seemed to finally snap out of it. "Audrey Carsons?"

 _Carsons? Mary changed my surname?_ That was news for her. She had thought that she'd have to stay with her parents' surname. It made it seem like she was really the Carsons' daughter. Audrey nodded and felt annoyance begin to form when the teacher began staring at her face once more. "Can I come in?" She asked, more angrily than she wanted.

"Yes, yes," The teacher cleared his throat and went back inside the classroom and when Audrey followed him, she heard gasps and ' _What?!_ 's coming from the students inside. But she didn't pay any mind as she continued to stare down at her feet. "T-this is Audrey Carsons. She is new and I e-expect you to treat her well."

Then, she looked up and when she met a pair of chocolate brown eyes that were identical to hers, she wished she hadn't looked up.

Because, siting in one of the chairs, in one of the desks, was a girl that looked _exactly_ like her.

 **. . . TBC**

 **Xxx**

 **I know it was bit slow and that there was way too much description of the character's story but this chapter is like an introduction. Next chapter is when everything starts. And as for the episode in which this starts… well, I'm not sure. This story will occur in Season 2 but I'm not sure about the chapter. In which episode would you like this to begin in?**

 **Thoughts? Ideas? Did you like it or hate it?**

 **Until Next Time,**

 _ **ThePureWhiteFeather**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries or its characters and story. I'm just having fun with it and with my own characters.

 **Summary:** [Starts in Season 2] When she came to Mystic Falls because of her best friend and her family, Audrey never expected to find herself in the midst of vampires, werewolves, witches and doppelgängers. Between having the same face as another girl and having the oldest vampires in history after them, she realizes that she's in mess that she can't seem to get out of.

 ** _This_** **is where everything starts. This'll start a bit before the Masquerade but the next one it'll go through it. This is the chapter where the actual storyline begins (although _not_ exactly) and just a heads up, the chapters will be a bit longer than the first one. Just to let you know. But if you want me to keep them shorter just say it.**

 **Also, thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites and to everyone who took time to read the first chapter. It had a better response than I expected so thank you and hopefully I'll be able to keep up with the expectations.**

 **BrittStar1199: That or probably wondering what Katherine – since she's the only look alike Elena knows – is doing transferring into her class xD**

 **Lalal: I hope you'll like what I have in mind and I'm glad you liked it. Here's another chapter! Sorry for taking so long. I've been in a place where WiFi doesn't exist for a big while.**

 **On to the story.**

 **P.S: I'm sorry I took so long. I've been having trouble with my internet and its getting on my nerves. And school is a bitch. And this chapter took me quite a while to get out. So I apologize for the delay.**

 **Xxx**

 **Chapter Two**

 ** _Beginning_**

 **[ELENA]**

 **TO** be honest, Elena doesn't know how she can survive school with everything that happened and was still happening.

First, she loses her parents in an accident in which she was the only one to survive and after that, she meets Stefan and everything seems to get a bit brighter only to get the truth thrown at her face that vampires and witches and the supernatural in general are _very much real_ and that nothing was brighter after all. Then, she discovers that her parents weren't her parents at all and that her biological father was none other than her supposed _uncle_ John. Not long after that, she finds out that she is the spitting image of her boyfriend's ex. Katherine – said ex, who was also a five century old vampire – came back into town and turned Caroline into a vampire. Oh and she also compelled Jenna to stab herself in the stomach just because Elena went behind her back, which ended up in making the Gilbert break up with Stefan just to make sure that no one else got hurt.

There was also the Damon topic but she didn't have the patience to even _think_ about the guy. Not after what he did to Jeremy.

Her life had made a complete turn over but she was coping ( _barely_ but coping) with the complete mess that it was at the moment, when another seemingly problem walked right through her classroom's door.

After what she went through, Elena wished she could say that she had seen it all. But she really can't. Not when her look alike was standing right in front of her class, wearing the most casual clothes that she has seen Katherine wear and looking down almost nervously at her . . . sneakers? _The hell?_ Had Elena been teleported into an alternate dimension where _Katherine_ , the vampire that was able to make any boy or man kneel by her (It made Elena disgusted with just the thought to be honest), wears _t-shirts_ and _jeans_?

Unless . . . it wasn't Katherine?

" _T-this is Audrey Carsons. She is new and I e-expect you to treat her well."_

The girl seemed to choose that moment to look up because chocolate brown eyes met Elena's own wide, identical ones almost automatically. The shock that went over the frozen girl's face . . . Elena was familiar with it. She was sure that's how she looked when she met Katherine in person for the first time. She had completely frozen over. She was sure now. It wasn't the vampire but _another_ look alike? Why couldn't the universe or whatever just give her a break?

 _Wasn't one enough?_

And then, another possibility struck in her mind.

 _What if she's my twin? My identical twin?_

Elena was adopted so there could be a chance but then she turned it down almost immediately when she remembered something important. She met her birth parents and she was sure they never spoke of another child. They could be lying, sure. But she was almost a hundred percent sure that they wouldn't lie about something as important as this. And she was also able to read her adoption papers – thanks to Aunt Jenna – and she hadn't read anything about a sibling or a twin at that. As far as they knew, their only child was her and her alone. So, twins was impossible.

 _So, what could it be?_

The Gilbert felt her phone vibrate on her pocket, snapping her out of her thoughts and after making sure the teacher wasn't looking (he was still in shock and trying to find a place for the girl – Audrey, was it? – to sit), she quickly picked it up and read the most recent message, which was from Bonnie, who was in the back of the classroom.

 ** _Who the hell is that?!_**

Elena made sure to reassure Bonnie that they'd talk after class because she was still processing what had just happened. Her classmates were continuously looking from her to the new girl and Elena found herself looking at her look alike too, just to see that Audrey Carsons was already staring at her. Turning away, the Gilbert wondered if the girl knew that this town was – Caroline's words and not hers – cursed. If she knew that vampires, werewolves and witches were very much real and that they lived in the very town she just moved to.

Suddenly, Elena felt bad for Audrey.

She probably didn't ask to be brought here or to be placed right in the town where so many supernatural creatures live. She wanted to help her, to explain everything to her and to be able to keep her away from everything. But bad seemed to always happen around Elena, like she was a bad omen or something.

And she didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

And then, Elena seemed to realize something, her eyes going wide in shock and horror. She gripped her pen tightly.

 _What is going to happen when Katherine finds out that there's another look alike running around?_

 **Xxx**

 **[AUDREY]**

 **WHEN** the bell rang, she picked up her bag and sprinted out of the classroom faster than she ever thought to be capable of. She avoided hitting someone as she continued to head in the direction she wanted, head low so no one saw her face.

What was _that_? She knew that there had to be a reason for everyone to be calling her by a different name but she had thought that maybe it was just some similarities. Not a complete, _mirror like_ , image of her, sitting in the _same_ classroom and in the _same_ class she was! She had frozen up completely, not being able to take her eyes off the girl. They had their difference. The girl's – Elena's – hair was straight while Audrey's was curled but the rest . . . they looked _exactly_ the same.

And that was _impossible_.

Yes, there are theories that everyone has at least one look alike out there in the world but not _this_ alike. They seemed like the same person, but in different bodies. The only people that could have this mirror like image of another were twins and not all twins look as _exactly_ alike as she and Elena do. What was going on?

 _I feel like I'm going to lose my mind._

Audrey slammed the bathroom door open, scaring a couple of girls that were inside but she didn't pay them any mind. She leaned on the sink and shut her eyes, hearing the same girls whisper to each other as they left what she thought to be a conversation about Audrey herself, but like before she didn't care. She wondered if it was because of this that Mary had that talk about going back home with her.

Realization hit her then.

 _Mary knew._

Mary knew that there was girl that looked exactly like her in this town. And yet, she still asked if Audrey wanted to come with them. What did she think would happen when the two girls met? Accept the whole thing and go to a coffee shop and have lunch? Clearly the woman wasn't thinking straight when she asked her to come.

After all that, Audrey didn't feel like she was going to have the peace and quiet she had thought she would get in Mystic Falls.

 _Bzzzzt… Bzzzzt…_

 ** _Where R U? I'm at the school's entrance._**

That's what the message from Sophie read and Audrey opened the bathroom's door as she was reading the last word. She quickly typed the reply that she'd be right there when she bumps into someone. The dark haired girl gets ready to apologize, only to freeze when she met her lookalike's eyes head on.

 _God, why do you hate me so?_

Elena looked like she was startled for a second but then she relaxed slightly when she realized it was just Audrey. "I'm sorry. I was just focused on my phone and— you know what? Doesn't matter," And she gave a hesitant smile. "I'm Elena. Elena Gilbert."

"I know," Audrey muttered coldly before she could help herself. She then looked at the other girl and wondered how she could be so carefree about the situation.

Elena's smile fell. "I know this is weird," she began quietly and Audrey felt like she wanted to scoff but she stopped herself from doing so. Elena was being nice to her. She shouldn't be rude. "But I would like for us to... get to know each other."

Well, she hadn't been expecting _that_. "Uh..." What could she say? What _should_ she say? She didn't want to be friends with her, not really but... it'd be really bad from her part if she refused her propose. "How about we start over then?" Audrey suggested, lips forming a small, weak smile that didn't feel natural at all.

But it was the right thing to do.

"I'm Audrey. Nice to meet you."

Elena smiled back at her and grabbed her hand gently, shaking them. "I'm Elena. It's nice to meet you too."

At first, they were silent in each others presence but Audrey could say anything, Elena began talking about how she should meet her friends and before she knew what was happening, she had agreed to meet up with Elena and her friends in a place called The Grill, which apparently was where they usually spent their time together.

(By the time they began walking through the student filled hallway, all eyes were on them but didn't pay them any mind.)

To be _completely_ honest, Audrey didn't really want to meet Elena's friends. She was fine with only knowing the Carsons and only hanging out with Sophie. She was a kind of a loner anyways. But when the Gilbert asked her to hang out with them, she wasn't able to refuse. The 'yes' came out way too fast for her to take it back.

"Where _were_ you?" Sophie asked, as soon as the identical duo approached her. She hasn't noticed Elena either. "I've been worried about you!"

"Sorry, sorry," Audrey rose her hands as if to defend herself. But she was smiling. She was already used to her friend being like this. "I went to the bathroom and ran into Elena."

At the name, her friend froze and _finally_ looked towards the Gilbert, her eyes widening so much that it looked like her eyes were going to come out of their sockets. Sophie tried to speak but everything that came out of her mouth was spoken _so_ fast that Audrey wasn't able to understand what she had said. And by the look on her face, Elena didn't either.

"Soph, _slower_ please."

The smaller girl stopped her rambling and took a deep breath. She was still staring at Elena like the girl was a alien or something but at least when she spoke, her voice was calm.

"It's just... she looks _exactly_ like you, 'Dreya and that's _not_ normal!" Sophie began poking Elena's face and arms and Audrey felt like slapping the back of her best friend's head. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she _is_ you!"

Audrey took her friend's hands away from the Gilbert. "I know that it's weird but we don't know why we look identical so we decided to act normal," Then, she realized what she had said. She wished she could act normal. "Well, as normal as we can be."

She shouldn't use the word normal. Especially in this situation.

"Sorry about that," Sophie said to Elena, blogging the dark haired girl her hand. She smiled. "I'm Sophie, Audrey's best friend."

The lookalike shook her hand. "You already know who I am."

"That I do."

The two laughed and Audrey felt a smile bloom in her face at their interaction. so this is what it looked like when she laughs with her friend. It still felt weird having your carbon copy talking to _your_ best friend but if she and Elena were going to be friends, she'd have to get used to it.

She and Sophie said goodbye to Elena when they realized that Mary was waiting for them and Audrey promised that she'd show up at the Grill.

She was still feeling like she didn't need to meet anyone but she'd do it.

She wasn't going to be mean when all Elena wanted was to be friends **.**

 **Xxx**

 **[ELENA]**

 **THE** first thing she did when Audrey and Sophie left her side was take her phone and call Stefan. Since he wasn't at school and she had to go home, it was the best solution.

 _"Elena, what's wrong?"_

His voice sounded strained as he talked to her and she suddenly felt stupid for calling. They had broken up. She shouldn't be speaking with him. But it was force of habit. "Something happened at school," she began saying and knowing what he'd ask next, she quickly continued, "I'm fine. It wasn't something bad. It's just..."

 _"What is it?"_

She paused for a moment before taking a deep breath. "There was a new student in our class, and I know you probably won't believe me when I say this but... she looks like me. No, not like me. _Exactly_ like me. A...At first I thought it was Katherine but then again, Katherine would never wear sneakers and jeans. I just... I don't know what to do. I talked with her and she seemed nice, although a bit scared but that would be obvious and... I'm rambling aren't I?"

She could hear Stefan chuckle on the other side." _Its fine,_ " he assured, " _But that seems suspicious. Are you absolutely sure it wasn't Katherine?"_

Elena couldn't really say for _sure_ , but... "Why would Katherine bother with joining my class when she could get to me easily?" It didn't add up. "Her name's Audrey Carsons. I know I shouldn't be asking, but can you please look more into it? Talk with her or something?"

The youngest Salvatore sighed. " _I'll see what I can do._ "

"Thank you."

"Elena!"

The girl jumped in surprise and turned to see Bonnie rushing to her side. "Hey, Bonnie," she greeted but then saw the look on her best friend's face. "What's wrong?"

"What was _that_?" The witch spoke up, eyes wide. Elena shook her head, not understanding what she meant. "Back there! Who was _that_?"

Oh. She was talking about Audrey.

"I don't know but I think she doesn't know about the town," the Gilbert replied thoughtfully, crossing her arms. "I don't think she even knows that the supernatural exists. I don't want to bring her into this."

She could see Bonnie giving her a understanding look and felt the smaller girl squeeze her arms gently.

"I know, Elena. We won't bring her or her family into this."

Yeah. Audrey didn't deserve to be in the middle of all this mess. She was just living her life normally. She had the _right_ to have a normal life. Elena would never take that away from her.

The two girls left school and began heading to Elena's house where they found a invitation by her door. Frowning, Elena picked it up, read her name written on the paper and opened it up. It said:

 _You are invited to a Masquerade Ball that will be held in the Lockwood mansion on the 20th of this month. Please dress formally and invite whoever you want to company you to the party._ _I hope to see you there,_ _Carol Lockwood_ "A ball?" Bonnie asked skeptically, an eyebrow raised. "Really?"

Elena shrugged, not sure what to think. Balls weren't really her thing. She'd rather stay home with Aunt Jenna and Alaric, watching a movie and eating pizza. And that's probably what she'll be doing.

And its tomorrow. She has a lot of time to think about it.

"You don't have to go," she said, smiling coyly at her best friend as she opened the front door. The witch kept her eyebrow raised. "But I'm _sure_ there's someone who wants to take you."

Bonnie scoffed but then brightened considerably as she probably got an idea. Elena couldn't be sure. "How about we take Audrey to the ball?" she suggested. "It'll be a good way to introduce her to everyone."

It _was_ a nice idea.

How come she hadn't thought of that? It'll be a good way to get to know the girl as well. Elena was curious about her human lookalike. She seemed to be more like the Gilbert instead of Katherine which wanna relief but she did wonder if the trio had any similarity. She wanted to know if Audrey was like her or her they were completely different despite their looks. She seemed like a nice girl, even though she was cold at first.

Elena wanted to be _actual_ friends with her.

Hopefully, this lookalike _won't_ mess with the Salvatore brothers.

"Do you think she'll want to go?"

After what happened today, it wouldn't be surprising if the girl stayed home for the rest of the week.

"I don't know," Bonnie replied truthfully. She then shrugged with a small smile. "But we can try to ask her, right?"

"Yeah," Elena nodded. It didn't hurt to try. As she opened her front door, the girl turned to dark skinned witch. "Do you think... we can find out why she looks exactly like me? I mean, Katherine _is_ my ancestor and all that so there has to be some other reason for Audrey to look the way she does."

She's had some ideas but all often were completely insane.

She can't figure out why there's another girl that looks exactly like her. Why is it always Elena that ends up in these situations? Why couldn't she just live a normal life and just worry about finishing school and going to college.

Why does her life have to be so darn complicated?

Bonnie touched her arm gently. "I don't know why she looks like that," she began saying. "There has to be an explanation."

Yes. There had to be an explanation. But _what_?

"And I promise, Elena. We'll figure it out. We always do."

Elena smiled at her best friend and proceeded to get inside her house but a thought continued messing up her head.

 _What will happen when Katherine finds out about Audrey_

 **Xxx**

 **[AUDREY]**

 **SHE** wasn't sure why but she found herself in the Grill hours later.

Maybe it was because Sophie insisted or maybe because she didn't want to see or talk with Mary for now but as she walked inside the small restaurant, she felt like she _didn't_ want to be here. At first, meeting Elena's friends seemed normal but now. . . it made her feel weird.

Like she wasn't supposed to meet them.

Or maybe it was just the fact that she didn't want to meet them?

She didn't know anymore.

"There's Elena!" Sophie exclaimed, pointing to the table where Elena was sitting, still alone.

Audrey didn't say anything.

She grabbed her friend's hand and began walking towards the other girl. She could feel her stomach turning into a knot as nervousness rushed through her. She never felt this nervous before. She wondered why she felt so _uneasy_ with all of this.

Why did it feel like there was something else about this town that she didn't know?

God, what the hell is she thinking about?

Nervousness? Uneasiness?

 _Stop thinking those things and let's get this over with._

Taking a deep breath, she touched Elena's shoulder.

Said girl turned back and for a second, she flinched and scooted away. Audrey frowned and her eyes widened when she saw _actual_ fear in the Gilbert's eyes.

Why did she look so scared?

She hadn't done anything.

Why would Elena be scared of her?

"Oh no. I'm sorry!" Her lookalike said quickly, once it seemed that she was back to normal. "I just saw you and thought you were Ka-" Elena stopped herself, eyes widening.

"Thought I was who?"

 _Don't tell me there's_ another _lookalike?!_

"No one!" She got in response that seemed to come out way too quickly. Audrey narrowed her eyes as Elena bit her lip nervously, before she smiled weakly. "Um, I'm glad you guys could come!"

She could see Sophie give her a look but Audrey ignored it and continued staring hard at Elena.

What could she possibly be hiding? Who did she think Audrey was? And why did she look so scared? It didn't make sense.

"Who did you think I was?" She finally asked, unintentionally interrupting what Sophie was saying. Elena met her eyes. "For a second there, you looked _scared_ of me."

The Gilbert laughed nervously. "What do you mean? I didn't think you were someone else. You just surprised me."

The look on Elena's face . . . She knew it _way_ too well. It was the look Sophie said she saw countless of times when Audrey lied about something. The puppy dog look and the lip bitting. She would've believed the girl if she hadn't done that but now Audrey was sure.

 _Elena's lying about something._ But _what_?

"Where is everyone else?" Sophie asked, obviously trying to lighten the mood. Audrey didn't even sit down. She was still staring at Elena, who by now was looking away from her. "I thought there'd be more people."

"They said they would come," Elena assured with a nod and a smile broke on her face when she looked towards the restaurant's door. "There they are!"

The two Carsons turned around and saw two young girls. The tallest one had wavy blonde hair and the smaller one had dark skin and dark hair. They didn't seem that bad but when the blonde girl met Audrey's eyes, she seemed to freeze and take a small step back, looking afraid. The dark skinned girl looked her way too and spoke a few words to the blonde making her regain her composure.

The blonde had been afraid too when she met Audrey's eyes.

 _What is going on?_

"Sorry, we're late," The dark skinned girl spoke up, as she got closer. She smiled up to Audrey. "I'm Bonnie Bennett," she introduced herself.

"Audrey," she spoke her name kind of coldly, eyes staring at the blonde who still looked kind of afraid.

But when she spoke, it was like the blonde had turned to another person. "I'm Caroline Forbes!"

"Sophie Carsons," her small best friend spoke kindly and Audrey felt a hand pinch her back's skin. She flinched. "And _this_ is my best friend, Audrey."

She shook hands with the two girls and sat down, feeling their eyes on her as she ordered but she pretended she didn't know about it.

"I'd like an hamburger please!"

This is going to be a _long_ night.

 **Xxx**

 **[CAROLINE]**

 **SHE** didn't know what to think.

Elena had explained that she had met the new girl and that she looked _exactly_ like her and Katherine but at first, Caroline didn't really believe it.

But then she saw her.

With long shaped curls, her doe chocolate brown eyes and a black leather jacket, Audrey Carsons was the carbon _copy_ of Elena's evil ancestor, Katherine.

And as soon as those eyes fell on her, Caroline just _froze_.

It was face of the best friend she grew up with. The face of the damn vampire who _killed_ her, making her a vampire due to having Damon's blood in her system.

How could she _not_ feel scared when she looked into those eyes?

"Who the heck is she?" The blonde hissed to the girl sitting in front of her. Elena didn't answer at first. "And why does she look _exactly_ like you?"

Thankfully, Audrey and Sophie had gone to buy something else to eat.

"I don't know!" Her best friend exclaimed, in desperation. "Imagine _my_ reaction when she showed up in my classroom this morning!"

"Then what's going _on_?"

But truth be told, none of them knew.

"Hey guys?" Bonnie was looking around, almost looking panicked.

Caroline and Elena looked up as well and realized what was it that made Bonnie look panicked.

Audrey and Sophie were no where to be seen.

Elena released a _long_ sigh.

"They dumped us, didn't they?"

 **Xxx**

 **[AUDREY]**

 **"WHY** did we leave like that?" Sophie asked her the next day.

They had left shortly after Caroline and Bonnie had arrived. Audrey, once she learned that Elena was lying about ssomething, decided that maybe she was lying for her own good. Audrey didn't want to be in the middle of lies and all that.

If Elena decides to tell her, then Audrey will listen when that time comes.

"I don't know. I just. . . didn't feel comfortable, that's all."

That wasn't a _complete_ lie.

Sophie gave her a look. The look she gives Audrey all the time when said girl is being unreasonable or lying about something. "You shouldn't have treated them like that you know."

"I know, but you how I am."

The smaller girl rolled her eyes. "That isn't an answer."

Audrey knew that she was being unfair. When she went to school, she wasn't able to look Elena in the eye. The Gilbert had tried to talk with her a couple of times but Audrey tried her best to avoid her. She still couldn't get over the fact that Elena could be hiding something from her. And also the fact that she and Caroline had looked so scared for a moment when they looked at Audrey.

She wanted to know why.

Why they acted they way they did.

Audrey also hasn't talked to Mary yet but she'll do that later.

The bell of the house rang making the two teens jump in surprise. Sophie went down the stairs and as she opened the front door, Audrey rose an eyebrow at the person that stood there.

It was a guy about their age with light brown hair, a defined jaw and the prettiest green eyes she had ever seen before. He was really handsome. She couldn't deny that but their eyes met . . .

It was like he was looking at another person.

"Can I help you?" Sophie asked politely, probably wondering why a stranger was at their doorstep.

The guy finally snapped at whatever trance he was in while staring at Audrey and looked back at the blonde girl. "I, uh . . . am a friend of Elena's?" He held out an hand. "Stefan Salvatore."

"Okay?" That wasn't a good enough reason of why he was at their house but Sophie shook his hand anyway with a smile. "Sophie Carsons. And that's my best friend, Audrey."

"She told me you were new around here," he quickly explained. "And I wanted to tell you that if you ever need something, feel free to ask."

That sounded weird. Especially when it's a stranger telling you it. But Sophie didn't ruin her polite composure. "Thank you. We will."

The guy - Stefan, was it? - hesitated for a moment but then turned and began walking away, but not after looking back once and Audrey found herself meeting those green orbs again. It seemed like he had wanted to say something else but he never did. Sophie began shutting the door but she picked up a envelope off the floor first.

"What's this?" She wondered out loud.

She began opening the letter inside. It was an invitation, Audrey realized.

 _I'm aware that you are new in this town but you are also invited to a Masquerade Ball that will be held in the Lockwood mansion tonight. Please dress formally and invite whoever you want to company you to the party._ _I hope to see you there,_ _Carol Lockwood, Mystic Falls' Mayor_

"Seriously, a ball?" Audrey muttered, raising an eyebrow. She looked at her friend and groaned when she saw Sophie's eyes _sparkling_. "God, no. Please don't say what I think you're going to say!"

 _Please don'tplease don'tplease don't!_

"I know what we're going to do tonight!" Sophie gave her a mischievous smile and a _look_. " _We're_ going to a ball."

 **Xxx**

 **I don't know why but this chapter gave me some problems. Maybe its because its the chapter where some main characters are introduced and that I begin developing my characters. Idk I'm just being honest here.**

 **Hopefully, next chapter won't take as long as this one did.**

 **I'll see you all then~!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to _The Vampire Diaries_ or its characters and story. I'm just having fun with it and with my own characters.

 **Summary:** [Starts in Season 2] When she came to Mystic Falls because of her best friend and her family, Audrey never expected to find herself in the midst of vampires, werewolves, witches and doppelgängers. Between having the same face as another girl and having the oldest vampires in history after them, she realizes that she's in mess that she can't seem to get out of.

 **Here's Chapter 3. Sorry for taking so long. I'm not the best when it comes to updating regularly. -_- Thanks to everyone who decided to and is currently reading** **my story!** **You make me so happy!**

 **Ann: I'm not sure about pairings yet as I'm trying to keep the story friendship-ish but Stefan and Audrey is a possibility. And I agree. There are too many Damon/OC stories and I promise, this won't become one. Sorry for anyone who wanted that to be the endgame pairing for Audrey. I don't want to spoil the endgame pairing as I'm not really sure of it either xD Thanks for your kind words and for taking your time to review!**

 **On with the story!**

 **Xxx**

 **Chapter Three**

 ** _Masquerade_**

 **[AUDREY]**

 **"I** told you to _not_ say it!"

She groaned and let herself fall back into her bed, Sophie shaking her head the whole time.

A Masquerade? What was Sophie _thinking_?

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Her friend insisted, lips turning into a pout.

"Fun?" Audrey asked incredulously. Fun? How was going to a ball where Elena was probably going to be considered fun? "After everything that has happened?"

But Sophie didn't give in. " _That's_ exactly why we're going!" she exclaimed. She had her eyes narrowed as well. "Because of this crap that has happened ever since we came here."

Audrey continued to look at her friend, not judging even the slightest. But she was waiting. Waiting for what she knew would happen, any second now.

"Come _ooooon_!"

She rolled her eyes at Sophie's whine, groaning once more.

A Masquerade. First, they'd have to go buy a dress. For her at least, as she was sure that Sophie had a couple of dresses she could use. Second, they'd need masks and their . . . well, she _didn't_ want to go but Sophie was right. It's be a nice way to clear her head and she was sure she needed some fun in her life.

Audrey paused her string of thoughts.

 _I'm going to the Masquerade, aren't I?_

Yep, she was.

"Okay, okay!"

Pout and puppy dog eyes dropping immediately, Sophie threw her arms around her and pretty much squealed in joy.

Audrey didn't know why Sophie liked parties so much. When they lived in New York, their school usually had a couple of parties every week and Sophie used to go to every single one of them. But they were _loud_ and everything usually went wrong in them so she couldn't see why teenagers enjoyed having parties. Or maybe it because she never actually went to one.

She couldn't be sure.

"I need a dress," she suddenly announced, making her small friend turn to her with wide eyes. Audrey shrugged. "I never saw a reason to buy one."

And she never really had the money either. And on second thought, she still doesn't.

"Well, I'm low on money but," Sophie stood and walked over to her wardrobe, where she began moving clothes around. "I'm sure you can use one of mine."

Audrey waited patiently as her friend searched for the dresses. She picked up her phone from the nightstand and saw a couple of messages from her father. Out of her parents, her father was the one that seemed to care most for her and that would explain why why only got messages from him and not from the woman she _still_ calls mother.

 _ **Hey, honey. I wanted to know how you are. I know that I haven't been the best father these last years** **but I do get concerned about you. And your mother too, although she doesn't show it.**_

 _Yeah, right_. Audrey scoffed.

 ** _And I also wanted to tell you that you're free to come an visit whenever you want. You're our daughter and we love you and not having you around feels really wrong._**

 ** _Hope you're happier there than you ever were here with us._**

 ** _P.S: Tell Sophie and her parents that we're really glad that they invited you to go with them._**

 _Woah_. That was the most caring message she ever got from her father.

But she was sure he was trying to get her to go back home using the best weapon he knew. Guilt. And then saying that he was really happy with the fact that she came with the Carsons. But it wasn't going to happen. Her mother caring about her? That would never happen, not even if the world ended. Okay, maybe she's exaggerating but to Audrey it really felt that way. How _did_ she handle seventeen years with that woman?

How did she survive with a _family_ like that?

"Who's that from?" Sophie asked curiously, two dresses in her arms.

"My father."

It was all that needed to be said. Her friend didn't say anything about it and proceeded to let her write a reply. Audrey didn't really know how to answer so she did it in the best way she knew.

 ** _I'm fine, father. Everything's fine and yes, I'm really happy here. Tell mother I'm fine and that she doesn't need to feel 'concerned' about me. And you too. I'm fine._**

"Let me see what you picked," Audrey said, pressing 'Send' and letting her phone fall into her bed. She approached Sophie and gazed at the two dresses.

They were both _really_ short, she realized and Audrey wondered if Sophie wanted them to be what guys like to call sexy in them. One of them was a dark blue with sprinkles all over it and it looked like it was really tight. The other was somewhat looser than the dark one and it was a vivid crimson color.

To be honest, Audrey was sure she wouldn't be comfortable with neither.

"Yours is the darker one," Sophie declared, as she ran her hands on the soft crimson fabric of the other dress. "This one's mine."

 _Of course I have to get the tighter one_. "Okay," she relented, simply because she didn't want to fight because of a dress of all things. "But _I_ do my own makeup."

"But Audrey-"

"No buts."

The two stared at each other hard, trying to make the other back down but, like usual, Sophie was the one to crack and pout. Audrey hid a grin as she picked up her dress carefully and laid it on her bed. She gazed at it. She couldn't picture herself in a dress like that. She liked jeans and sneakers. She never worn a dress or a skirt in her life. Was she supposed to act elegant in one?

Because she didn't know how to do that.

"Hey, girls."

Audrey's body froze over at the sound of Mary's voice. She hasn't talked with the woman ever since she left them in school the day before and she _really_ didn't want to do it now.

She continued touching her dress as Sophie replied back to her mother cheerfully.

"Why are you getting those dresses ready?" Mary frowned, walking over to her daughter to touch the red dress gently. "Are you going to a party or something?"

"A Masquerade!" Sophie exclaimed with a grin. "It'll be at the Lockwood Mansion. You didn't know about it?"

Audrey turned just in time to see understanding dawning in Mary's face. "Oh! Yes, yes. I've heard about it!" The dark haired teen's body tensed when the woman looked at her in eye with a warm smile. "Are you both going?"

She knew why Mary asked. The woman knew that she didn't like parties. At first, she contemplated not saying anything so Audrey found herself nodding instead.

"I see," the mother turned to Sophie. "You better be in your best behaviour tonight. Understand?"

Here, Mary approached her daughter and whispered some words that Audrey wasn't able to hear but she saw her friend's eyes shift to her momentarily to her before going back to her mother. She frowned. What was Mary saying?

"Get it?"

Sophie nodded at her mother's question. "Yup. Crystal clear."

"Good. Now, I would like to talk to Audrey for a minute."

Said girl's eyes widened. But before she could ask Sophie a quick, escape question, her friend had already nodded and left the bedroom, closing the door behind door

Silence fell and Audrey found herself avoiding Mary's eyes.

"With the way you're acting," the woman began softly, sitting on the edge of Sophie's bed, a couple of feet away from the teen. "I suspect that you've found out something and you're angry that I didn't tell you. Ask me anything or tell me what you found ou-"

"I met Elena Gilbert."

That was able to stop Mary's rambling and Audrey finally looked into the woman's eyes, surprising herself when she didn't find surprise or shock in them. But then again, why should she? Mary probably knew of the girl's existence already.

"And I'd like to know why we look _exactly_ away. And don't tell me that she's my long lost twin."

A chuckle left the woman's lips as she grinned. "Don't worry," she assured. "She's not related you _at all_."

Well, that was a relief. "Then why?" Audrey _needed_ to known. She had the _right_ to know. "Why are we identical?"

Mary hesitated, bitting her lip before she sighed. "I can't tell you that yet," she replied, getting to her feet and began approaching Audrey. "You wouldn't understand if I told you. And I don't want to burden you."

"Burden me?" The teen repeated, voice rising slightly. She could feel anger beginning to spread. "Burden me with _what_? Why can't you just tell me?"

She just wanted to know why there's a girl that looks exactly like her and why Mary didn't tell her a thing. Burden? What burden? She didn't understand anything. How did Mary know something about her anyways? Her parents should know it. What if they did?

Audrey paused to think about how _ridiculous_ that thought sounded.

 _There's no way that my parents know something._ "I can't explain right now but I promise, one day, I'll explain _everything_."

Audrey doubted that she'd get any answers if she kept pushing. Mary must have her reasons for not telling. But what could be so bad that she couldn't know now? She wondered if its something about her or that she has magic or something.

 _Ha! That'd be nice._

"Okay," she breathed, although she still wanted to know. "I'll wait for that day then."

Mary smiled in gratitude. "Thank you," She sounded _so_ relieved that Audrey nearly felt bad. "So, do you girls want help with anything? With getting ready?"

"There's no need. Thank you."

The woman nodded and proceeded to make her way out of the room but she stopped just before she left. "I know that it'll be hard to adjust here so I hope you'll tell if _anything_ happens."

The teen blinked a couple of times in surprise and then shrugged. "Sure."

Mary smiled once more and then, finally, left. Now alone, Audrey fell into her bed and began wondering when it became like this.

When did her life become this _complicated_?

"Its time to get ready!" Sophie's voice reached her ears and she could hear her friend's footsteps as she rushed up the stairs.

Audrey just groaned again.

 **Xxx**

 **[ELENA]**

 **"YOU'RE** welcome to hang out," she told Matt truthfully, who (after helping her get Jenna safely home after her aunt ended up in the hospital because of Katherine) was leaving. "Alaric's coming over. Its going to be pizza night and bad TV."

She really wanted Matt to stay with them. He was her childhood friend and after the whole break up, they had grown apart but she wanted to change that. She wanted things to go back to normal, even though she knew Matt was still hurt.

But she was sure he'd like the same.

The blonde quarterback gave her a apologetic smile. "I'd love to," he replied, "but I'm going to the Masquerade party at the Lockwood mansion. Aren't you?"

Oh yeah. The Masquerade. How could she have forgotten? At first, she had wanted to go so she could speak with Audrey and have fun with her friends, who she was sure were all there, but then she remembered Katherine and the whole having-to-stay-away-from-Stefan thing.

It'd be a _bad_ idea if she went.

"No," she answered. Matt gave her a weird look and Elena proceeded to explain. "Not with what's going on between me and Stefan."

"Well, I have to go. There's something I have to do."

Well, _that_ didn't sound suspicious at all. Elena blinked. It almost seemed like Matt had been programmed to say that. But she brushed it off and asked curiously, "What?"

But her friend didn't explain. Just shook his head with a shrug and a smile, like nothing was wrong. "Just something. I can't really talk about it."

And that just made it worse. Could Matt have been compelled to do something? But who would compel him? Maybe she's just being paranoid.

It seems that knowing about vampires makes you think anything is their fault.

Maybe Matt just has something to do. Its none of her business.

So, she smiled at him. "Well, have fun then."

"Yeah. Me and a suit."

"Hey, you look good in a suit," Elena could remember how dashing he looked in one, back from when they dated.

Matt looked almost shy when she gave him the compliment and he gave her a smile in return. "You and Stefan will work it out," he spoke confidently.

How she wished it could be easy. But when you have a evil doppelgänger running around hurting loved ones, its not as easy. "I don't think so, Matt," she said, tucking a piece of hair around her ear. "There's so _much_ about me and Stefan that'll never work."

Including the fact that he's a vampire and she's human and that Katherine is messing with Elena's life and family because of him.

She felt Matt wrap his arms around her gently. "Well, I'm here for you always."

And she couldn't be more grateful. Elena smiled as the blonde walked into his car and drove away before closing the door and going into the living room, where Aunt Jenna was sitting, watching some TV.

"I fell like an invalid," the woman complained, almost childishly.

Elena couldn't help it. A small laugh left her lips as she sat next to her guardian. "That's because you _are_ an invalid," she replied, elbowing Aunt Jenna's arm gently. The blonde gave her a dirty look so she changed the subject to something she had on mind for a while. "Where's Jeremy?"

She hasn't seen her brother since lunch. Could it be that something happened? What if Katherine got to him?

But Aunt Jenna reassured her troubles even though she didn't know what Elena was thinking. "He already left for the Lockwood party."

Wait, _what_? "He did?" Jeremy went to the Masquerade party? But he hated those kind of things! She leaned back into the sofa. What was going on? Why would Jeremy be going to the Masquerade?

"Yeah, I'm glad," Aunt Jenna nodded, not noticing Elena's face. She actually looked relieved about her nephew. "He needs to have more fun. Lose some of that emo thing."

The dark haired girl took her phone and tried to send a message to Stefan, Jeremy and even Bonnie, but none of them replied. She mentally cursed. What could be so darn important that she couldn't know?

What were they _thinking_ of doing?

"I'm... going to get some napkins," Elena told Aunt Jenna, who gave a small nod.

She pulled herself off the couch and entered the kitchen where Alaric was handling the snacks for the night. That's right. Alaric could know what was going on. He probably did.

"What's going on?"

She could see the hunter's body tense up at her voice, but he acted so innocently that made Elena _sure_ that something was going on. "What do you mean?"

Did Alaric think that she was _that_ dumb? She could read him easily. "I haven't heard from anyone all day," Not even Bonnie or Caroline were at school earlier which had made the Gilbert worried. "It's like everyone has been avoiding me and now Jeremy's supposedly at the party? He _hates_ stuff like that."

"I don't know what to tell you, Elena."

He wasn't going to tell her, was he? Fine. Two can play at _that_ game. "So it'll be fine if I head out and try to meet up with everyone."

She proceeded to try an leave but Alaric took hold of her arm before she could. "Wait, wait, wait."

She _knew_ something was up. "What are you hiding, Ric?"

"Stefan asked me to keep an eye on you," he finally explained. Elena slowly took her arm from his hand, looking at him questionably. "Just in case Katherine showed up while he was at the party."

"Stefan is at the party too?" That didn't make sense _at all_. She knew him. He didn't like those things. "He would never go by himself: he did that for me."

"Just let it go, Elena. Okay?" Alaric pleaded, before walking out into the living room.

Elena found herself alone.

It didn't make sense. Bonnie didn't answer her messages, Stefan and Jeremy were at the party and god knows what Damon's doing. What could be so important that they'd have to go to the party to do it. It had to do with Katherine, she was sure of it. But _what_?

 _What_ was going on?

She felt stupid for not realizing something was up, until now but now, she's going to find out what it is.

But first, she needs to get past Alaric.

"Hey, guys?" Her guardian and the hunter looked up to her. "I'm going to bed," she lied, lightly moving the car keys on her hand. She had them by habit, in case something happened.

Aunt Jenna smiled. She didn't see past her lie. Good. "Okay. Good night."

Alaric gave her a suspicious look but didn't say anything. When they turned back to the TV, she silently made her way to the front door and opened it, closing it behind her without a sound. She mentally cheered when the adults didn't hear a thing and quickly made her way to the car, turning on the engine.

If they were doing something against Katherine at the party, there was a chance someone could get hurt. No. Someone was _definitely_ going to get and hurt.

And Audrey. . . she was there too.

What if Katherine thought she was Elena and did something?

The Gilbert tightened her hold on the wheel.

She wasn't going to let that happen.

 **Xxx**

 **[AUDREY]**

 **THE** Lockwood mansion was bigger than she expected.

She stepped out of Sophie's car and watched as people danced around and came in and out of the big house. Everyone seemed to be having so much fun. She grabbed her dress' edges, suddenly afraid of going inside.

She wasn't this person.

She didn't use makeup or fix her hair in tighter curls. She didn't wear heels and short dresses. She liked to read books, listen to music and be alone. Being in a party like this... it _felt_ wrong.

But she had to risk it once in her life and live a little.

"Woah," her friend breathed in awe, staring at the mansion with wide eyes. "It looks bigger than I remember."

Fixing their masks, the duo made their way inside and Audrey felt Sophie grabbing her arm, in an attempt to not be separated. She didn't mind it and kept going through the crowd. There were _so many_ people. She kept going anyways, not feeling her friend's hand slip. The music wasn't as loud as she expected either which was kind of nice.

And then she saw a blonde in crimson that wasn't Sophie.

Should she talk to Caroline? It wouldn't hurt. But should she? After the way she treated her when they met. . . Shaking her head, Audrey walked over to the girl who was watching something or someone. She saw that Caroline's gaze was on a handsome blonde guy that had a girl pulling his arm.

 _Oh._ That sucks.

"Hey," she found herself saying softly and by some miracle, the blonde turned to her. Blue grayish eyes widened for a moment and the dark haired girl quickly clarified, "I'm Audrey."

She _still_ wasn't used to having people being afraid of her. Who would?

"Audrey! Hey!" And the chirp and cheery Caroline came back in a instant. "You look great!"

The teen could see that something was bothering the blonde. She kept fidgeting with her phone and looking in every direction. "What's wrong?" She looked nervous.

"What?" She repeated the question and Caroline laughed easily, although she continued looking everywhere. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me!"

The phone vibrated and Audrey saw the blonde lick her lips nervously as she read the message. "You can go," she assured.

"Sorry! But I have something to do!"

And in a blur of red, she was gone.

Audrey blinked before shrugging and walking outside again. She didn't have any business in Caroline's affairs, no matter how curious she was. She looked above people's heads to see if she could find Sophie but she wasn't lucky. She quickly left her a message and looked up to the night sky. The music seemed to have gotten lower to.

She suddenly came to a stop.

What was she doing? She came to the Masquerade to hang out with her best friend and drink and live a little. Not to exit the party almost after getting there. Why was her first instinct to come outside? She should be inside and having fun and . . .

. . . is that Elena?

She had a short, black dress and a mask over her face but it was her. She had come after all? Audrey still needed to apologize for the way she acted. She quickly followed the Gilbert and grabbed her arm. She wished she hadn't. Elena spun around so quickly that she didn't even see it happening and grabbed her throat in a single moment. Her air supply was cut almost instantly and she clawed at the hand holding her so strongly. Almost _inhuman_.

How was Elena so _strong_?

"Well, well," the Gilbert _smirked_ up to her, squeezing a little more. Since when could Elena look so _evil_? Audrey was sure that the girl couldn't hurt a fly! And what she heard next just made everything crumble. "If it isn't _little_ , _fragile_ Elena."

 _What_? "W-what are you t-talking about, Elena?!" It couldn't be possible. There couldn't possible be _another_ girl that looked exactly like her.

The woman that she was sure wasn't Elena by now lost her smirk and her eyes widened for a moment. She whispered a 'there's no way'. Audrey felt the hold on her lessen and she gulped as much air she could before she began coughing.

"There's no way," the girl kept repeating, still staring at Audrey like she'd seen a ghost. "Why would. . . _How_. . ."

The Carsons backed away slowly, holding her sore throat gently, afraid of what _this_ lookalike could do besides crushing her neck. She wasn't Elena but she had the same straight hair that she'd seen on the Gilbert. And her strength? How was it even possible? How could a girl have that much strength? She had to get away.

She _really_ needed to get away.

Audrey tried to turn around and just run away but she found the lookalike already in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and looking her in the eye.

"Don't run," she was told.

By some invisible force, her legs seemed stuck in place. Fear run through her. What was happening? Why couldn't she move?

"Tell me your name," the lookalike demanded.

Even though she didn't want to answer, her lips parted and her voice spoke, "Audrey Evans, now Carsons."

It was almost like the girl was _controlling_ her mind or something.

"Are you Elena Gilbert's identical twin?"

 _What?_ "No."

"Then why do you look like her and me?"

 _I wish I knew._ "I don't know."

The questions stopped and if she could've released a sigh in relief, she would've. The girl didn't let go of her shoulders. Instead, she kept staring at her. _Hard_. Audrey was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Okay," her shoulders were released. "Let's see what they have to say about this," Not-Elena looked her in the eye once again. "Don't move. This won't hurt. _Much_."

 _Huh?_

There was a sharp pain in the back of her neck and then darkness.

 **Xxx**

 **[STEFAN]**

He was waiting with Damon inside the room they had picked to finally do the one thing they should've done before.

Kill Katherine.

Back then, the thought of killing the girl they both ended up loving and hating was as far as the moon. But now, with the help of everyone, it seemed much closer. It'd be tricky. Katherine was smart and by now, she must've realized that they were trying to kill her.

Stefan just hoped that Caroline would be able to lure her.

And speaking of the blonde . . .

" _... I don't want any part of it!"_

 _She's good,_ he thought to himself.

" _Shut up!_ " Katherine's voice could've be hear even without vampire hearing. " _Which one is it?_ "

" _That one. Now, let Audrey go! She has nothing to do with this?_ "

Audrey? Wasn't that the girl that Elena told him about, the one that apparently was a doppelgänger too? Katherine had her?

"Let her go!"

And the vampire must've ignored Caroline's pleas because the room's door opened and the younger Salvatore could hear her heels clicking against the floor.

"Where is she?"

Caroline let a smug smile appear, although her eyes never left Audrey's form which was slumped on Katherine's shoulder. He saw her face and then saw that the girl _did_ look exactly like Elena, except for the tight curls. But with that dress, she reminded him way too much of the vampire that he was trying to kill.

"I did it," the blonde said, grinning. "I didn't think that I'd be able to fool... _you_ but I did it."

As Katherine rushed over to the door only to find out that she was indeed trapped, Audrey's body ended up falling hard on the floor and Stefan could've sworn he heard skin rip open. He wondered if it was an grave injury. It was then he decided to to make his presence known and came out of his hiding spot.

"Stefan," Katherine acknowledged.

Gripping the stake in his hand, the younger vampire met her eyes, "Hello, Katherine."

Caroline waved almost mockingly. "Goodbye, Katherine," she said, before she looked over to Stefan. "I need to get her out."

She was probably talking about Audrey. And she was right. They had to get the girl out. She couldn't stay inside the room, especially with what was about to happen.

But they needed a opening first.

Katherine gave him a smirk (She knew he wouldn't trust help Audrey when she could easily intercept him) as she walked closer to him. "You don't _really_ think you can kill me with that do you?"

He twirled the stake in his fingers. He knew he wouldn't be able to kill with just that. "No," he answered truthfully, looking over her shoulder. What she didn't know... "But _he_ can."

Chocolate orbs widened and Damon came out of his hiding place, sending a stake right into Katherine's back. She gasped in pain and tried to grab the stake out but Stefan rushed over to her and stabbed another stake but this time on her shoulder. When the vampire doppelgänger doubled over in pain, he took that moment to grab Audrey's form and in a second, he had thrown her over to Caroline, who he knew would catch her easily.

And without needing to say anything, the blonde immediately flashed away.

"No!" Katherine growled, before she glared and came straight at him, using the very same stake he had used on her.

She grabbed the arm he used to send another stake and broke it easily before throwing him away, knocking some chairs down. Damon grabbed her from behind but Katherine kicked him away before throwing a stake at him, which he slapped away. The female vampire threw herself at him and tried to stab him in the face but Stefan came from behind and trapped her arms, sending them both backwards. He could feel Katherine struggling and before anything else, Damon brought down a stake towards her chest, ready to _finally_ kill her . . .

" _Stop_!"

. . . when Jeremy Gilbert appeared on the doorway, looking conflicted and worried.

"You're hurting Elena!" he shouted and the two brothers froze in disbelief. Elena was getting hurt? " _Everything_ you're doing to her is hurting Elena!"

In his shock, Stefan lessened his hold and Katherine pushed herself to her feet, looking over both him and Damon with a smirk.

"You two think you're the only ones with a witch on your side?" She took the stake from his brother's hand. " _No_. And something tells me that my witch _is better_ than your witch."

Damn it. They were almost killing her for good, only to find out that she's linked to Elena. Oh god. Elena probably has wounds by now, due to the stakes that they stabbed in Katherine's body. She's probably bleeding out.

"Jeremy, go and make sure Elena's okay!"

The younger Gilbert didn't have to be told twice. He bolted out out there almost instantly.

"Let's _all_ make sure _poor_ Elena's okay," Using the stake in her possession, Katherine pressed it on her palm, creating a deep, open wound, "Just a _little_ pressure..."

But the stake was slapped out of her hand immediately by Damon. But she just picked another one and flashed away from them, ready to stab herself in the stomachstomach.

" _This_ is really going to _hurt_."

If she did that, she herself would probably just be gravely hurt but Elena would die for sure.

"Stop!" the two shouted at the same time.

Katherine smirked, sitting down on the couch, twirling the stake in her hands, "So how about that moonstone?"

Stefan and Damon looked over to each other. After everything, their plan hadn't worked. They weren't able to kill her.

"Also," she continued, narrowing her eyes at them. "I want to know who that girl is."

 **Xxx**

 **[AUDREY]**

Consciousness hit her like a brick and a groan left her lips, eyes slowly opening.

The night's sky greeted her and pushing herself up, she found herself holding her arm in pain. Where was she again?

 _Oh._ The Masquerade.

She searched in her mind what what happened. She remembered arriving with Sophie, they separated, Audrey talked a bit with Caroline before she walked outside and then she saw Elena, reached out to touch her arm and after that . . .

Her eyes widened.

 _Oh right!_ Elena had grabbed her by the throat and used a strenght that seemed almost _inhuman_ and by then Audrey had realized that it _wasn't_ Elena at all, just another lookalike.

And after that?

Not-Elena had asked her a couple of questions and then . . . nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

She just woke up here, with pain all over her body and arm. not to mention that the back of her neck hurted too.

 _What_ had happened?

And what the hell was that lookalike?

How had she been so _strong_?

Audrey didn't understand anything.

" _Audrey_!"

Said girl nearly jumped out of her skin, forgetting for a second that Elena's voice was _exactly_ like hers and thinking that another her was calling her name. The Carsons turned and saw the Gilbert rushing towards her with Caroline and Bonnie right behind her.

"Are you okay?!" Elena asked, frantically looking over her body for any wound. Audrey tried to speak but her lookalike didn't let her. "Caroline told me that Katherine had gotten you and you were hurt!"

She blinked at the other girl's words. Katherine? Is that the name of that lookalike? "I'm fine," she said. It was a half-truth.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Katherine!" Elena blurted out. She looked down into her hands. "I just didn't want to drag into the middle of this mess. You don't belong in this."

"Elena just wanted to protect you," Bonnie spoke up.

"And _we_ did to," Caroline added.

Right. She found herself forgiving Elena, forgiving all of them for keeping this from her and because they didn't do anything. It had been Audrey herself that had judged them from the beginning. She didn't want to be in the middle of this. She came to Mystic Falls to have a normal, quiet life and that's what she's going to have.

"Just tell me something," she said and all three nodded, ready to answer anything she asked and she hoped they did. "That girl, Katherine was it? _What_ is she?"

She saw the three friends look at each other nervously. Were they like afraid to talk about her? What could Katherine be that made the so hesitant to tell her?

"Katherine..." Elena began saying hesitantly, licking her lips. She took in a breath. "Katherine's my ancestor."

Audrey blinked once. Twice. And a sound erupted from her mouth. " _Huh_?!"

Elena's _ancestor_? How was that even possible? If that was true, then Katherine shouldbe _really_ old or dead. But she looked seventeen! Either she had a _reeeeeally_ good facial cream or she's immortal, like a vampire. Oh god. What if she _was_ a vampire? That would explain Katherine's strength and speed. She wondered if she shone in the sunlight as well.

 _This isn't Twilight, Audrey._ Right.

"We know its weird," Caroline spoke next. "But what's coming next will be _much shocking._ "

Oh dear Lord. Were they going to say what she thinks they're going to say? She had been just joking.

"Katherine's not only Elena's ancestor," Bonnie continued, looking quite serious as she spoke. "I know you're not going to believe us but..."

 _You're right. I'm not going to believe you so d_ _on't say it,_ Audrey thought, growing anxious. Her heart also began speeding up, crashing against her rib cage. Don't _say it_!

"Audrey, she's a vampire."

This couldn't be happening! What did they think this was? some cliché horror movie? They were crazy! When Audrey thought about Katherine being a vampire, she had been joking! Vampires _didn't_ exist! They only existed in books and those horrible movies that teenage girls liked to see.

But... how could Katherine be so young?

Could've Elena be lying to her when she said that the evil lookalike is her ancestor? But why would she lie? What was the purpose of lying to Audrey?

Her life was becoming _reeeeally_ complicated.

"No," she found herself saying and she cringed with how shaky her voice sounded. "That's not possible. T..there's no such thing as vampires!"

"Hey," Caroline spoke softly and when Audrey looked up, she found blue grayish eyes staring into her wide brown ones. "It's true. We're telling you because we need you to know that this town isn't as normal as you must've originally thought."

This _can't_ be happening. "Its _not_ true," the girl kept repeating, feeling her eyes beginning to sting. "It _can't_ be true."

"It is."

And then, right before her eyes, Caroline's face shifted. Veins appeared beneath her once blue eyes, which now were dark red and black. Her two canines grew and when she growled, Audrey backed away as quickly as she could, her eyes wide.

Caroline's face... it looked like a monster.

She was a vampire?

Reality hit her hard.

They weren't lying. Vampires _were_ real. She didn't know how or why but it turns out that the stories Mary used to tell her and Sophie were true. They were true. All of them.

 _This can't be happening._ "I..." She couldn't even speak. She shut her eyes and then shook her head. "I need to go home. I..."

 _... need to talk with Mary._

"... I can't deal with this right now."

Caroline's face was back to normal. She grabbed Audrey's shoulders gently and the girl involuntarily flinched. "Wait. You need to believe us!" she said urgently. "You need to know that the town doesn't know that vampires exist!"

 _The people didn't know they have vampires walking among them?_ "And if they find out, they'll kill our friends, including Caroline," Bonnie explained.

Why were they telling her this? Why did they even tell her about vampire? Why was it want that she had to know about their existence? "What if I go tell them?" Audrey challenged.

"You won't," Elena retorted, giving her a gentle yet serious look. "You won't tell. I can see in your face. You don't want any part in this."

 _Y_ _ou're right about that._

"You can go home," the Gilbert continued saying, taking her phone out. "Just tell me where you live so I can explain _everything_ to you."

If it had been any other day, Audrey would've told her to leave her alone but a part of her wanted to know more, wanted to know why she looked exactly like this girl in front of her and how vampires existed. so she gave Elena her adress and phone number and they ended up walking together to their cars in silence, only for Audrey to realize that Sophie had left without her.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

"I'll take you home," Elena offered.

Well, she won't deny that offer. The duo made their way towards Elena's car but then, a person in a mask appeared right in front of them, walking straight at them. Audrey found it weird and by how the other girl's body tensed, she probably thought it too.

"We need to run," she told the Gilbert.

Elena didn't object. They both turned and started running in the opposite direction. But they didn't get far. The masked guy flashed in front of them and tried to put a cloth in Elena's face but Audrey tried to kick him away which ended up badly. The guy used one hand to grab her by the throat and the other one to use the cloth to knock Elena unconscious.

And before Audrey could do anything else, he knocked her unconscious too.

 **Xxx**

 **[KATHERINE]**

She was in the one place where she never was from the beginning.

The tomb.

She had to give it to Damon. He had the guts when she thought he'd never have. he actually _locked_ her in the tomb. She never saw that coming.

Katherine was caught off guard for once.

She looked around the old and dirty tomb and wondered if this was it. If she was going to die here after spending 500 years alive. She did what she did to survive, no matter how bad the things were.

She is going to die and Elena gets to live.

Katherine hated the girl more than ever. not just because of Stefan, but because of that girl Audrey, Elena wasn't going to die.

The only reason why Katherine was in Mystic Falls was to get her freedom back. With turning Caroline into a vampire, triggering Tyler Lockwood's curse and finding the moonstone, she got every single ingredient ready for Klaus, so she could finally get her freedom back.

The only thing in the way was that girl. Audrey Evans or Carsons or whatever she calls herself.

Her witch - Emily - had told her about a rumor that passed from witch to witch. A rumor that spoke of a girl that is be born in the same year as the doppelgänger, to act as a backup if the original doppelgänger died or got turned into a vampire. Emily admitted that it was probably a fake rumor but she swore that she had seen a girl that looked exactly like Katherine back then.

But the Petrova never really believed it.

Until now.

The vampire let herself fall down until the floor and closed her eyes.

Elena gets to live and she gets to rot in this place.

She _really_ , _really_ hates Elena Gilbert.

 **Xxx**

 **I don't know why but this chapter was a bitch to write and its not one of my favorites but I like it anyways.**

 **So, it was revealed a part, well almost everything, about why Audrey looks like a doppelgänger. It'll be further explained as the story progresses so don't worry.**

 **Thanks for reading this really** _long_ **chapter** **and I'd like to hear your opinions and thoughts of what you think will happen or that you want to happen.**

 **P.S: Sorry if there are any mistakes.**

 **Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to _The Vampire Diaries_ or its characters and story. I'm just having fun with it and with my own characters.

 **Summary:** [Starts in Season 2] When she came to Mystic Falls because of her best friend and her family, Audrey never expected to find herself in the midst of vampires, werewolves, witches and doppelgängers. Between having the same face as another girl and having the oldest vampires in history after them, she realizes that she's in mess that she can't seem to get out of.

 **I'm back finaaaally. Sorry it took so long. I didn't have much free time. But here I am, with another chapter for you guys.**

 **Ann: I love Katherine too! She's probably my favorite character in the whole show.** **She's awesome! Stelena will most likely break up, just like in the show and I am considering putting him and Audrey together but I'm not sure.** **I have many candidates in mind for her but since I don't want to make the story focus too much on romance, it'll have to wait. I agree. Those three girls loved Stefan with all their hearts and I kind of wanted to see how they would end up if they did get together. I'm glad you liked the chapter~!**

 **I'm glad you're all enjoying the story! It makes me happy when I see the views go up and when I receive a review and a fave or a follow! I hope I can keep up to your expectations~!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Xxx**

 **Chapter Four**

 _ **Explanation**_

 **[SOPHIE]**

 **WHEN** her consciousness began waking up, the first thing she thought was to see if her friend had gotten back home safely.

It was bad what she did. She got separated from Audrey in the ball and decided to just dance and have fun, thinking that her friend would be okay. Sophie met this guy ( _his name was Nathan_ , she reminds herself) and they danced and the alcohol made them have a little _more_ fun than what she wanted but before they could advance even further, she just took her keys and ended up driving back home, somehow making it back okay even though she was a bit drunk and forgetting about Audrey all together.

God, she was such a _bad_ friend.

 _I have to apologize to her_.

Sophie peeled her eyes open, blinking a couple of times before she yawned loudly. Sleepily, she turned to the bed where she knew Audrey would be sleeping in, lips parted to apologize . . .

. . . only to find the bed empty, sheets neatly in place.

It was like Audrey hadn't even slept there since the day before.

" _Mom_?" the blonde shouted, panic beginning to spread through her. She heard the woman's 'what's up?' that came from the kitchen and continued, "Is Audrey eating breakfast?"

"... _No. I thought she was still sleeping?_ "

 _Don't panic_ , the teen told herself, quickly standing from bed. _Just check the bathroom_. She's probably showering. Sophie made her way towards the bathroom of their room, only to find it empty.

Audrey wasn't in bed, in the kitchen or in the bathroom.

Where the _hell_ is she?

"'Dreya?!" she shouted, hoping for any response.

There was no answer.

The blonde girl quickly went to pick up her phone, ready to text her best friend when she noticed a certain black device on the dresser. Audrey's phone laid there on the dark wood as if to mock her. The dark haired girl probably forgot it the night before.

But if she didn't have her phone . . .

. . . _how_ is Sophie supposed to find her now?

There was the sound of the door bell ringing and she bolted down the stairs (so her mom didn't open the door herself) and pretty much threw the door open, Audrey's name on her lips, only to find the blonde girl, with a school bag over her shoulder, they had met a couple of nights before. Caroline, wasn't it? Yeah, that's it.

"Can I help you?" She asked as politely as she could, when the only thing she wanted to do was shut the door so she could look for Audrey.

"Sophie, right?" The Forbes spoke up, a easy smile forming on her lips. "I'm Caroline. We met the night before the ball?"

"I remember." How could she _possibly_ forget the girl who just froze in fear when she saw Sophie's best friend?

Caroline didn't seem to mind the way she spoke. "I was wondering if I could have a word wi-"

"How did you know where we live?" Sophie didn't feel guilty at all for interrupting. She _was_ in a hurry and kind of weirded out with how everyone seemed to know where they lived. First that guy Stefan and now this girl?

"Oh!" The tall blonde's eyes widened for a moment and the small girl narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Um, my mom . . . told me. She's the, uh sheriff and I just asked her."

The Carsons didn't believe her one bit.

But she let it slide for now.

She was in a hurry after all.

"Well, Audrey isn't home. She . . . went to get some breakfast," Sophie lied quickly, nervously looking behind her to make sure her mom was still in the kitchen. "Sorry."

Caroline's eyes narrowed and bored into the smaller blonde own pair of blue eyes. Why was she staring so hard at her? She took a step back.

 _What is going on?_

"Sorry about this," Sophie heard the Forbes say before she was pulled into an ocean of greyish blue. "Where's Audrey?"

 _WHAT IS GOING ON?!_ "I don't know," came out of her mouth before Sophie could stop herself. "I woke up this morning and she wasn't home."

"When was the last time you saw her?" Caroline continued asking.

 _Why do I feel like a puppet?_ Sophie spoke again, unable to do anything else. "At the ball. We got separated and I haven't seen her since."

"Why didn't you look for her after the party?"

Sophie was beginning to get scared. _Why_ can't she stop answering these questions? What _is_ Caroline doing to her? "I was with a boy."

There was a pause and all the small girl could do was stare at the taller girl. What _just_ happened? What was happening?

"Soph?" Her mom's voice reached her ears and she nearly sighed in relief. "Sophie? You there?"

"You're going to forget about this conversation. You got a message from Audrey saying she spent the night at a friends' house and she'd meet up with you at school."

. . . Sophie blinked a couple of times. She shook her head and looked around, wondering why she was at the front door, staring at nothing. Why was the door _open_?

"Hey," Mary touched her shoulder. She turned around and her mom stared at her in concern. "I've been calling you for a while now. Are you okay, honey?"

"Yeah," She said, blinking a couple more times. _God_ , why was her head throbbing? "I'm fine."

Her mom didn't look convinced but she didn't push it. "Where's Audrey?" the woman asked, as they walked into the kitchen. "You asked about her earlier."

For some reason, that question made Sophie freeze for a moment, panic rushing through her body. Why was she beginning to panic? Audrey had gone from the party to a friends' house and stayed the night there. There was no reason for her to panic. She even read the message as proof.

So, why was she so _scared_?

Why did it feel like she didn't know where Audrey was?

It must be just a weird feeling.

"Oh! She told me she slept in a friends' house after the ball," Sophie replied to her mother. "She texted me that we'd meet up in school."

Mary nodded, looking slightly suspicious but the girl shrugged it off before beginning to eat breakfast.

Upstairs, a red device remained on top of a dresser.

Xxx

 **[CAROLINE]**

 **THE** moment she left the Carsons house with the compelled Sophie still standing at the door, she picked up her phone and did the first thing that came into mind. She texted Stefan and told him about Audrey's disappearance.

And his reply chilled her to the bone.

 _Elena's missing too. Jeremy just told me that she hasn't gone home since last night._

After that, Caroline immediately made her way to school to meet up with the youngest Salvatore. She also texted Bonnie to explain what was happening.

Elena and Audrey disappearing at the same time _can't_ be a coincidence.

It also _can't_ be a coincidence that the ones that were kidnapped were the two girls that happen to look _exactly_ like one Katherine Pierce.

And there's no such thing as coincidences in Mystic Falls.

" _This has Katherine written all over it,_ " Stefan's voice reached her ears and she quickly rushed in the direction it came.

" _Katherine's in the tomb,_ " Damon's voice came next. " _Trust me. I'm the one who locked her in there._ "

"Did _you?_ "

Oh dear. Caroline rolled her eyes. They were going at it again.

" _Did I_ what _, Stefan?_ "

" _I know the hold Katherine has over you._ "

" _She's in the tomb,_ period. _End of story . . .But she_ did _say something_ _right before I shut her in_. _I thought she was lying._ "

"What was it?" Caroline asked, finally reaching both of them.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Damon asked her.

She gave him a hard stare. "Audrey's missing and I texted Stefan," She mentioned towards the younger brother, who nodded in confirmation. "He said I should meet up with you. So, what was it that Katherine said?"

The blue eyes vampire gave his brother a look but answered her question anyways, "She said Elena's in danger."

"And you didn't think of asking her to _elaborate_?" Came Stefan's angry reply.

"Did she say anything about Audrey?" The Forbes asked, wanting to know more.

"Who the _hell_ is this Audrey everyone's yapping about?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. Seriously? "The girl that Katherine brought with her, right before you began attacking her," she explained, before narrowing her eyes at Damon. "Did Katherine say anything about her or not?"

" _No,_ " the vampire growled out, glaring at her.

"I'm going to go talk with her." Stefan announced, beginning to walk away.

However, Damon was quick to grab onto his arm and stop him. "No, no. Let me tell you how's that going to go. We go there asking for help, she negotiates her release and we're going to be dumb enough to actually _agree_ with it."

Caroline had to admit. That was exactly how she pictured what would happen if they went to talk with the vampire doppelgänger.

"She gets out," the older brother continued. " and then she _kills_ us!"

"I don't care."

The blonde rolled her eyes, yet again at Stefan's answer. "Well, _I_ care," she snapped making both brothers turn to her. "We need to find another way to search for Elena and Audrey."

"What other way?"

She paused, possibilities running through her mind. But none of them were that good. Maybe with Bonnie's-

 _Bonnie!_

"Bonnie can use her magic to find them!" She exclaimed out, eyes wide.

Stefan looked startled, as if that idea hadn't crossed his mind. But he nodded, agreeing immediately. "Lets find her." He suggested.

Caroline nodded and both of them moved inside the school, with Damon grumbling about 'why the witch?' behind them.

 _Just wait. We're coming._

Xxx

 **[AUDREY]**

 **HER** consciousness began clearing, her eyes slowly opening.

Her head hurt painfully.

 _God_ . . . It felt like she was run over by a car or something. Brown eyes slowly opened to face a old ceiling above her. She pushed herself up, feeling pain ripple through her body but ignoring it and looked around.

She was in some kind of old house, wood covering the windows to not let a single day of sun enter, there was a staircase that led to another part of the house and she was currently lying in a old sofa with Elena lying unconscious beside her and-

 _Elena?!_

"Oi!" Audrey touched the lookalike's shoulder before beginning to shake her. "Elena! _Wake_ up!"

But the Gilbert didn't move an inch and now that she noticed, there was a injury on Elena's cheek, like she had been slapped _hard_. Audrey pushed herself up, gulping. She _had_ to find a way out of this damn house. Why did they kidnap her anyway? Or Elena?

 _I wonder if its because of our face._

Man. The fact that she looked the way she did was beginning to annoy the he'll out of her. Someone had to explain her what was happening. Why she looked like this, why Mystic Falls seemed to be so weird and why in the hell vampires exist.

 _Vampires exist._

It was something that would have made her laugh uncontrollably in the past if she hadn't been shown proof that it was _actually true_. Caroline's face . . . She can't get it out of her head. Those red and black eyes, those veins popping out, the _fangs_ . . . Audrey shivered. It had been. A face of a monster. How was it possible for something as _mythic_ as vampires to exist?

Then again, how was it possible for three girls to share the same face?

Voices. She could hear voices. A man and a woman talking to each other. Audrey strained her ears to try an understand what they were saying.

" . . . one of his contacts. You know how this works."

"Did you or did you not get the message to Elijah?"

Audrey stopped momentarily to wonder who the heck this _Elijah_ was and what he wanted with her and Elena.

"They said he got it," Came the woman's annoyed voice.

"Wonderful. And now what?"

Was it just to Audrey or did the guy actually sound _excited_?

" _So_ that's it, Trevor," the woman spoke with finality. "He either got it or not. We just have to wait."

The voices began to sound lower, which meant the duo was walking away so the teen walked a little more quickly through the old hallway, slowly and making sure that no one heard her. The old hallway was completely lit by some lights but she wasn't able to see the bad wood on the floor until she stepped on it and a loud _creeeeak_ filled her ears.

 _Oh no._

" _You_!"

Like a deer caught in the spotlight, she turned around with wide eyes, to see a woman with pixie cut and a glare on her face. She tried to step away but the woman grabbed her arm and began dragging her back to the room where she first woke up.

"There's nothing around here for miles, so if you're thinking you can easily escape, you're _tragically wrong_!" the woman hissed, her British accent heavy. She shook Audrey's arm for good measure. " _Understand_?"

In all honestly, the girl didn't understand anything that was happening so she just asked the question that has been bugging her mind for a while now.

"Who the hell is Elijah?"

The woman seemed to freeze, terror running showing in her eyes and she looked towards the teen's face for a moment before she looked forward again, answering in a somewhat softer voice.

"He's your worst nightmare."

 _He's your worst nightmare._

Those four words remained repeating time after time in Audrey's mind, as she waited for Elena to finally wake up. Nightmare? Whoever this _Elijah_ is, that woman seemed _terrified_ when she asked about him. What man can create such terror with just his name?

Maybe . . . he was a vampire?

That could be the answer to the fear that had passed through the woman's face. But what does a vampire have to do with her? She just came to Mystic Falls a couple of days ago and _yeah_ , she looked exactly like a old vampire but so does Elena. Why couldn't they have just grabbed Elena? Why did they take her too?

Audrey didn't understand _anything_.

And she had a feeling that she wouldn't understand anything for a while.

She tucked her legs against her chest and sighed, chin on top of her knees.

"Ugh," Elena's eyes slowly opened and she groaned, hand on her face right where the big wound was. When she was completely awake, she sat up quickly and saw Audrey awake. "Are you okay?"

"Am _I_ okay?" she asked in disbelief. "I'm not the one that got hit by something, who I suspect was the woman with the short hair?"

The Gilbert nodded, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and winced when she touched the injured area. "Yeah. I was trying to convince her that neither of us was Katherine but she..."

"Didn't believe you."

"No," Elena shook her head. "She told me that she knew exactly who I was but you... she just _stared_ at you and said that it was impossible."

Impossible? What was impossible? That she had the same face as these two girls that she never met before but is somehow connected to them? Yeah, _not_ impossible. What could the woman mean? Audrey sighed, leaning back and stared at the old ceiling. God, what did she do to deserve this? What did she do that made her be in the middle of all of this mess?

 _My face_.

Right. Her face.

Never in her life Audrey thought that hher face would get her into trouble.

Apparently there's _really_ a first time for everything.

"Come on," Elena said suddenly and gets up, Audrey doing the same slowly. What was she thinking? "Lets go get some answers."

The Gilbert began walking out of the room they were in and Audrey quickly follows after her because she _did_ want answers. If their kidnappers even give them some. This could go terribly wrong. But she didn't question it. She'd do anything to get some decent answers about what's happening. The two girls make their way through the barely lit hallways and slowly enter the other big room where the woman with pixie hair cut was moving some books.

"Why are we here?" Elena asked, sounding more confident than a normal person would be.

 _She's probably already seen a lot_ , Audrey thought to herself, not sure if she should feel sad or impressed.

"You're asking the question as if I'm going to answer them," came the woman's reply and the dark haired teen was sure she was smirking.

"Why won't you?"

The woman didn't turn around. " _That's_ another one."

Audrey pursed her lips and spoke up, "That's the least you could do. You kidnap us and we don't even know _why_ we were kidnapped so the least you could do was answer our questions."

She was angry. She just wants some answers, _dammit_.

The woman turned a book over. "I personally want nothing," she confessed. "I'm just the delivery service."

"To who? This Elijah you were talking about earlier?"

She can feel Elena's confused stare turning to her but Audrey kept staring at the woman, who finally turned around to face them. And she was right. The woman _was_ smirking at them.

"A point for the eavesdroper," the woman said, almost amused.

"Who is he?" Elena asked, her gaze moving to the woman once again. "Is he a vampire?"

"He's one of _the_ vampires, the _Originals_."

Originals? Like _first_ vampires? Like oldest and _stronger_ vampires? Originals. Did that mean that they created the other thousands of vampires that exist? Audrey's blood froze. Her and Elena had the _oldest_ vampires after them? _What_?!

"Originals?" Elena echoed, a confused frown appearing on her face.

"Again with the questions," the woman said, sounding annoyed. "Didn't the Salvatore brothers teach you your vampire history?"

Salvatore brothers? Audrey's eyebrows furrowed together. _More_ vampires that live in Mystic Falls? Wait. The guy that showed up at her doorstep . . . wasn't he called Stefan _Salvatore_? _He_ was a vampire and had a vampire _brother_?

What else? Witches and wizards?

"You know Stefan and Damon," Elena stated, crossing her arms.

"I know _of_ them," the woman corrected, turning around to move the books again. "Once, a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan. She said he was one of the good ones. I'm more of a sucker for bad boys though but I digress."

"Just tell us who these Originals are," Audrey said, rolling her eyes. They didn't need the back story.

The woman was quiet for a second and for a moment the Carsons thought she wasn't going to answer but she turned around to face them once again. "Trevor and I have been running for five hundred years," she explained, more serious than before. "We're tired We just wanted over. We're using you two to negotiate ourselves out of a old mess."

"But why _us_?" Elena asked, taking a step forward.

"Because you're both Petrova doppelgängers," the woman finally said. She eyed the two girls with something kin to regret but it was gone in a blink. "Although, I was told that it was _one_ girl. I thought you were Katerina at first," she admitted to Audrey. "With the curls and all but then I heard your heart beating and I knew you were human. I don't know why there are two doppelgängers but I'm using everything I can get for our freedom. And I'm sure that one of you is the key to breaking the curse."

She can't believe she's thinking this but Audrey feels sorry for the woman. She's been running for five hundred years with her closest friend because of Katerina, who she suspects to be Katherine. It wasn't fair. Lose half a century running away because of a girl who probably didn't care that she ruined the lives of two people.

It just wasn't _fair_.

"The curse?" Elena repeated, looking confused. "The Sun and the Moon curse?"

Audrey perked up. "Sun and the Moon curse? What's that?"

"So you do know your story," the woman said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "And you didn't tell _her_."

"Why would I? What does the curse have to do with her or me?" Elena retorted, narrowing her dark eyes. "The _moonstone_ is what breaks the curse."

Audrey wasn't understanding anything. A curse? Her or Elena being the key? _What_?

" _Sacrifice_ is what breaks it," the woman corrected, voice stronger as she said _sacrifice_ which made Audrey's blood run cold. _What_? "The moonstone just binds the curse."

What were they _talking_ about? A sacrifice? A moonstone?

"Sacrifice?" Elena's voice weakened considerably.

"The blood of the doppelgänger," the woman announced. "You're both doppelgängers. Which means, in order to break the curse, one of you has to _die_."

 _Die_.

She had to _die_.

Diediediedie _die **die**_ DIE!

"No!" She shouted, surprising the two other females. Audrey gripped her hair, eyes wide as she stared at the woman, body shaking and moving backwards. "That _can't_ be true! Dying? I just got here! I'm finally _free_ and you're telling me that there's a chance that I'm going to _die_ because of _a curse_?! No! Absolutely not!"

It _couldn't_ be true.

"You don't have a choice. Either you or her. One of you has to die."

 _Its not true._

 _It_ can't _be true._

Die. She came to Mystic Falls to start over, not _die_! Her lips trembled but she didn't cry. She _wasn't_ going to cry. She was just so, _so_ _angry._ So, apparently they only knew about Elena and were going to kidnap _her_ but because Audrey was with her in the Masquerade she end up in the middle of something she didn't belong. They had been after Elena, not her. She wasn't supposed to be here and because she was with the Gilbert girl she was here.

She shouldn't have accepted Sophie's family's invitation to come with them.

She should've stayed home.

 _God. What is happening to my life?_

"Hey, I..."

"Tell us more," she stated, interrupting Elena because she really doesn't want to deal with whatever the girl's thinking.

"Captivity has made them pushy, hein?" A man that Audrey now knew as Trevor entered the room, smirking at them. "What do you want to know, doppelicious?"

She ignored the name. "What are the Originals?"

"The first family," he explained, using a piece of wood to cover up the window and she noticed that his hands burned a bit as he did it. "The Old World. Rose and I pissed them off. Correction: _I_ pissed them off," he corrected when the woman gave him a look. "Rose had my back and for over half a century, they wanted us dead."

Audrey flinched when he threw a book particularly hard on the floor. "What did you do?" she heard Elena ask quietly.

"He made the same mistake countless others did," Rose said, voice harsh. "He trusted Katerina Petrova."

"Katherine..."

"The one and only. The first Petrova doppelgänger."

"I helped her escape her fate and now I, sorry, _we_ have been marked ever since."

So Katherine ruined these people lives. Not surprising with how she saw the girl's personality to be when she attacked her in the Masquerade. She hasn't known her for long but to Audrey, Katherine seemed to be a bitch. Maybe she shouldn't judge but that's the way it seems to her.

And these _Originals_...

Was it bad that she wants to just leave Elena to deal with them so she can live normally? She didn't want to _die_ and she knew that Elena didn't want to either but if the Gilbert already knew of vampires and everything, she would be the proper choice between them. Does that make her a bad person? Elena _was_ the one they wanted from the beginning, wasn't she? So what's the point of keeping Audrey here? It didn't make sense. They should just keep Elena and let her go and...

 _Oh my god._ Was she really thinking of sacrificing a girl so she could go free?

 _Maybe I'm a bad person after_ _all._

Trevor and Rose dragged them to the room where they had woken up and Audrey immediately curled up in the couch. She ran the new information back and forward like thousands of times and none oof them made her feel better.

Either Elena or her is going to die.

 _Die_.

Did Mary know about the curse? She seemed to know a lot about this town. She probably knew about it and if she did, why did she say anything?

 _Why didn't Mary tell me anything?_

Elena sat down beside her, looking troubled and pulled her knees closer as week but a small sound reached their ears. A paper was right beneath the Gilbert's foot so Audrey lifted it and picked the white paper. She unfolded it and read:

 _Stefan and Damon are coming for you two -B_

"B?" Audrey read out loud, eyebrow raised. "Who's B?"

"Bonnie," Elena clarified. "It was Bonnie that sent us that message."

"How did Bonnie do it?"

Her lookalike hesitated for a moment. "She's a witch," she explained carefully. "She's new at it but she managed to sent us this note with magic."

Magic. Audrey's mind was ready to burst by then. Magic and witches exist. Why is she even surprised? She learned that vampires exist so why shouldn't witches? _God_. Her life is getting weirder by the day. She sighed and leaned back. She doesn't even know how to think straight.

There's a chance that Elena will be the one to die and as bad as it is, she feels content with it. Because when it comes to chose between the two of them, she'll know exactly what she'll do.

 _I am a horrible_ _person_.

Suddenly, Trevor came into the room looking panicked. "He's here!" he announced, reaching Rose's side. "This was a mistake!"

"I told you I would get us out of it," Rose tried to reassure him. "You have to trust me."

"No!" Her friend shouted, panic clouding his whole senses. "He wants me _dead_ , Rose!"

"He wants them more!"

Trevor began pacing. "I can't do this," he said, talking more to himself than to his friend. He looked up to Rose, pointing at the girls. " _You_ give them to him. He'll have mercy on you but _I_ have to get out of here."

"Why don't you?"

Everyone seemed to stop, gazes turning to her including Elena's. Audrey stared back at the vampires. She may not be the brightest person in the world but there was only one way he could survive this. If he was so sure that he wasn't going to shown mercy than why wasn't he running away by now?

"If you're so sure that you're not going to be pardoned, why don't you run?"

But the man just stared at her as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He opened and closed his mouth like he was going to say something before a sound of a loud knock filled the room. Trevor froze, eyes wide and he made a move as to bolt away but Rose grabbed onto his arms.

"Hey, what are we?" she asked, looking him straight in the eyes.

Trevor breathed in and out, gulping before he nodded and looked back at her. "We're family. Forever."

"You're scared," Elena stated, but it was obvious. Anyone could see it.

Another knock and Rose went to open the door, but not before she sent Trevor another look. Audrey watched the two interact and once again felt bad for them. They shouldn't be going through this. They should be free already. It just wasn't _fair_.

"You should run away," she said before she could stop herself. "Go far, far away where you won't be caught."

"I'm tired of running," he replied, sounding even more terrified than before. Trevor turned to look at her and she felt her heart squeeze daily when he gave a small, _small_ smile. "But thanks for trying. Not many people would, knowing what I did."

Elena pulled her backwards, closer to her side and Audrey stared at the vampire's back. If it were her in his situation, she would've been gone by then but he stayed due to his friendship and closeness to Rose. Either it was really admirable or really stupid because she was sure that he wasn't going to survive. It was just a feeling and she didn't really want it to come true. He and Rose their freedom after these long five hundred years.

It wasn't _fair_.

A few minutes turned into fifteen minutes and then to half an hour and Audrey was getting tired of Elena's nervous pacing. Yes, she was scared out of her mind too but the sound of the shoes hitting the floor was driving her crazy. Finally, Rose appeared in the doorway and after her came a man. _Is he the Elijah that they had been talking about?_ He was younger than Audrey imagined with his suit and tie and even though he was so far away from them, she could pretty much imagine the way his eyes were moving from her to Elena and so on. She blinked and suddenly, the man was right in front of them, examining their faces.

"Remarkable," he murmured and proceeded to lean into Elena's neck and breathed in. Audrey froze when he pulled back and walked over to her to do the same. She shivered. "Human. Both of them too." He eyes both of the girls, lips twitching into a smile. "Hello there."

"We don't know why there's two doppelgängers," Rose spoke up, voice hesitant. "But we figured you'd like to know about both of them, Elijah."

"Yes," the vampire murmured, still staring at the two of them. "You did the right thing. We have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going."

"Please, don't him take us!" Elena pleaded, looking at Rose but the woman wouldn't meet her gaze.

"One last piece of business and we're done."

Audrey could only watch as Elijah turned and began circling poor Trevor who was trying his best to keep calm. She stole a glance at Rose to see the walk eyeing her best friend helpless. She couldn't do anything and the Carsons felt sorry for her because there was a chance that Rose would lose her best friend right then. Her lookalike also looked terrified but Audrey was sure she was more terrified for them than for the two vampires and maybe that was for the best. Her mother always told her that her compassion would be her end but Audrey never really paid any mind to what her mother said. She never did.

But she wondered if she should've.

 _Because I think I'm crazy. I'm feeling sorry for my kidnappers._

"...yes, yes it is," she heard Trevor say in shaky voice. "You trusted me with Katerina and I failed you."

"Yes, you are the guilty one," the Original affirmed, before liking in Rose's direction, who didn't raise her head. "Rose only aided you because she was loyal to you and _that_ I honor." Elijah stopped pacing right in front of Trevor. "Where was _your_ loyalty?"

"I beg your forgiveness," the younger vampire begged, voice low.

"So granted."

There was blur and the blood everywhere and scream echoed in the walls of the room. The detached head rolled over the floor while the body fell down with a loud _thump_ and it took a moment for Audrey to realize that she had been the one to scream. She stared at the bloody scene, eyes wide and body shaking and she wondered if she was having a panic attack because she couldn't _breathe_. There was blood, so much blood everywhere and bile rose in her throat. She felt like vomiting. She had never seen a dead body before and seeing a decapitation... She shivered and took steps back, losing her balance and coming stumbling onto the floor. Tears flooded her eyes but she didn't even feel them rolling down her cheeks. Hell, she didn't even acknowledge whatever was happening around her.

She had seen a man die.

She had seen a man being _decapitated_.

 _Oh god. I'm going to be sick._

Yes, it was a vampire but it was still _wrong_.

Trevor just wanted to be free and got death instead.

She didn't even process the hand grabbing her arm or the pulling her up and the running. She kept her eyes on the decapitated body until it was out of sight. The bile that had rose in her throat _burned_ and without a second thought, she let it all out and she would've fallen down if the hand holding her wasn't gripping so tight. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gagged and spat. Her throat was burning and she couldn't breathe.

She felt a gust of wind and suddenly the hand holding her let go and she found herself in the grasp of a dark haired man with icy blue eyes - was he Damon? Probably - and she wondered what exactly happened. He was also holding Rose tightly and he held a finger to his lips when he let Audrey go. The teen leaned against the wall and nodded, feeling her throat still burning from vomiting.

 _God, I feel awful._

"Excuse me. To whom it may concern, you're making a big mistake of you think you can beat me but you can't."

"Stay here," the dark haired man whispered before he flashed away.

Audrey cleaned her face and cursed at being so bad dealing with death. People would say she was exaggerating but it had been _awful_ to see someone die like that and she didn't like blood. _That was the worst thing I ever saw._

"I repeat," there was a loud _snap_ and she wondered if Elijah now had some kind of weapon. "You _cannot_ beat me. So I want one of the girls, either one is fine or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?"

"I'll go with you," Elena's voice came from somewhere up the stairs. "Just please don't hurt my friends. They just wanted to help me out."

"What game are you playing with me?"

Audrey heard a click and then a shout of and wondered what exactly did her lookalike did. But she didn't leave her hiding spot. She remained there, even when there was clearly a battle going on but she knew that she wouldn't be of any use and that both Salvatore brothers would do everything they could to help Elena.

"Are... are you alright?"

Audrey nearly forgot that Rose was right there with her. "Fine," she replied, ignoring the images of blood that resurfaced. "I'm fine."

The vampire didn't say anything else but she did walk out of the hiding place and without thinking much about it, the teen followed her. Elena was okay, standing beside Stefan while Damon stood in front of what seemed to be a decayed and lifeless Elijah with some kind of wood. Was that the thing where people hang their coats after entering someone's house? She stepped closer to the body and resisted the urge to touch the decaying skin.

"Are you okay?"

Audrey tried not to wince at the question because Rose asked the same one but replied anyways, "I'm fine."

 _No, I'm not._ _I'm never going to be fine._

Elena took a step closer to her, hand stretched out. "Audrey-"

"Please, can we just go home?"

 _I just want to go home._

xxx

 **[SOPHIE]**

 **SHE** jumped when the door opened, the popcorn she had been eating with her mother falling everywhere and the two were on their feet immediately.

Audrey was finally back. During all day, she didn't call or send any messages and the blonde girl was getting really worried. She knew that Audrey was a big girl and could take care of herself but Sophie and her mother had been worried anyways. The small girl rushed towards the main hallway and saw her best friend talking with the brown haired boy from the other day. His name was Stefan or something?

"Thanks for bringing me home," Audrey said, not looking at the taller boy.

"You're welcome," he replied with a small smile, even though the girl wouldn't see it. "Well, good night."

He turned to leave, looking at Audrey once more before walking to his car and the door was shut. Sophie was going to say something but was startled when her best friend just leaned against the door and slowly fell down, curling up. And then the blonde heard it. The sobs and hiccups. She was quickly to reach Audrey's side and wrap her arms around the dark haired girl.

"What's wrong, 'Dreya?" she asked in concern.

Her friend just shook her head, body shaking. Sophie didn't know what else to do so she looked at her mother, who was looking at Audrey with a unreadable look before she tightened her arms around the other girl, who was gripping her back just as tightly.

They stayed like that for hours.

"I don't know what's wrong," she whispered softly, rubbing her friend's back. "But we're here, 'Dreya."

 _We're here._

 **xxx**

 **This chapter was harder to write than I thought. Man. Anyways here it is and I'm sorry if there are any typos or mistakes.**

 **Hope you enjoyed and until next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to _The Vampire Diaries_ or its characters and story. I'm just having fun with it and with my own characters.

 **Summary:** [Starts in Season 2] When she came to Mystic Falls because of her best friend and her family, Audrey never expected to find herself in the midst of vampires, werewolves, witches and doppelgängers. Between having the same face as another girl and having the oldest vampires in history after them, she realizes that she's in mess that she can't seem to get out of.

 **I'll be replying to reviews via PM (except to Guests for obvious reasons) because it's easier and my document manager is kind of freaking out and deleting some things I write. And sorry if it took a while to get this chapter out. I've been busy with school and life and it sucks. Something bad has happened but it's all good now. Here it is and hopefully it's good.**

 **P.S: OH MY GODD! I know I'm _reeeeally_** **late but the finale, the finale, the finale. I can't even find the words to describe it. I hated it but I loved it and then I hated it again and ugh! I can't even think straight! I spent the entire episode sobbing like crazy.**

 **Sorry I'm soooooo late! Life got in the way, like usual.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **xxx**

 **Chapter Five**

 ** _Doppelgängers_**

 **[AUDREY]**

 **SHE** gasped awake, sweat rolling down her face and fingers curled around the blanket that was covering her legs. Her heart was pounding so hard on her ears. She breathed in and out, body shaking and trembling. She looked over to the side to make sure she didn't wake Sophie up and towards the digital clock on her bedside table. _5:23_ blinked in bright red at her and she proceeded to curl into a ball.

How long had it been since she had a nightmare? Years? The last nightmare she had had been about a horror movie she had seen with Sophie and a couple of other friends. She was being chased by a killer and when he got her, he had cut her in pieces and burned her and Audrey woke up with a scream. She had been twelve if she remembered correctly and after that, she couldn't even _think_ about horror movies.

But now . . .

In the nightmare, she was drowning in blood, screaming but no one could hear her. The blood had felt thick and warm and gross and it had covered her whole being and she continued to _scream_ before everything shifted and she was running and _running_ and then choking on the red substance and just not be able to _breathe_ and she screamed and _screamed_ only for her to be decapitated and she was _still_ screaming and she woke up gasping and sobbing like she was dying.

Audrey trembled once more, trying to eliminate the images from her mind.

"'Dreya?" The dark haired teen jumped out of her skin and relaxed when she told herself it was just Sophie. The blonde was rubbing her eyes sleepily and sitting up, watching her with concern. "Is everything okay?"

 _No. Nothing is okay anymore._ Vampires _exist and the_ oldest _one in history is after me and Elena because he intends to use one of us to some kind of sacrifice and one of us is going to end up dying and I just wanted to live a normal life and I don't know what to do anymore and I don't want to involve you and get you hurt and-_

"I'm fine," she said instead and she was given a look. " _Really_. I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

Sophie grumbled something but sleep soon overtook her senses and she was out like a light.

Audrey, after realizing that she was never going back to sleep, stood and wrapped herself in a blanket before walking out of the bedroom. The hallway was pitch black so she quickly flicked the lights on, going down the stairs. The moon's light shone on the living room, making it almost glow. Audrey sat down on the couch, knees to her chest. She turned the TV on by reflex and comfortably leaned against the couch's back. She wasn't really interested in what was on but she couldn't go back to sleep, not matter what she did.

She _hates_ nightmares.

She really, _really_ hates them.

Why do nightmares even exist? Sleep shouldn't be perturbed by bad dreams. Sleep is supposed to be the body resting so you can face the next day happy and with your mind clear. But nightmares, the ones that make people wake up in cold sweat and screaming, completely contradict that. Nightmares shouldn't exist.

"Audrey?"

The girl jumped in fright and quickly turned around, to relax when she saw that it was just Ethan that had come down. She faced the TV again and heard the man walk over to her and sit next to her.

"What are you doing up?" he asked, voice slightly higher than a whisper.

"Nightmare," she mumbled, tightening her arms around her knees. She didn't look at him, but she knew he was surprised because it was unusual for her to have nightmares. She had told him and Mary that when she slept in their house for the first time. "It was just a nightmare."

Sophie's father hesitated before asking, "Do you... want to talk about it?"

Images of the blood and the way it felt and how she had been choking began flooding her mind and she shook her head quickly. She definately did _not_ want to talk about it.

"Alright," he said and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side, She tensed for a moment, but relaxed and snuggled to the man's side like when she had been a child with her own father. "I've known you for years now and I can see that it's not just the nightmare that has been affecting you. If you need someone to talk to, I'm right here."

 _If only it could be just the nightmare._

She recalled the events of the day before. Waking up in the abandoned mansion with Elena, talking with Rose and Trevor, understanding the reason why she looks like the Gilbert, learning that vampires are _real_ , the vampire revealing how her or Elena supposed to be sacrificed because of some curse, being told about the Originals and meeting one of said family and watching Trevor getting decapitated when he begged for mercy. She could feel something rising in the back of her throat right then and she gulped it down. She couldn't vomit again. And definately not in front of Ethan. She wasn't sure what happened after the... decapitation, but she remembers two males coming to her and Elena's rescue and the blue eyed one - _Damon_ , her mind supplied - had sucessfully killed Elijah and then she was brought home.

She tried - she tried _hard_ \- to forget the whole day but it had been engraved in her mind and now Ethan wanted to know what was wrong with her. How can she - _anyone_ , really - expalin that vampires exist and not look like a crazy person while doing it? But wait. Mary knew. She knew about everything.

 _Why doesn't Ethan know about it?_

 _To keep him safe, probably_.

Mary didn't tell her husband or her daughter anything because she wanted them safe, because she didn't want to burden them.

Audrey understood that. She wanted the same.

She smiled (it was a bit hard but she managed for his sake) up to the person she considered a second father. "It's nothing," she assured, shaking her head. "I'm not used to Mystic Falls yet. That's all."

 _I guess that's not really a lie._

"I imagine. Mystic Falls is a lot different from New York, isn't it?"

" _Completely_ , _utterly_ different."

He chuckled and ruffled her long hair. She leaned even more against his side, eyelids dropping. Funny... she's quite sleepy now. Maybe she'll just close her eyes and rest them for a bit. Yeah, that's a good idea.

The duo drifted off, not noticing Mary on the staircase, watching them both with a small smile before she went back to bed.

xxx

A few hours later, she woke up on the couch covered with two blankets. She got ready for school and she had just finished eating breakfast (alone, because Sophie stayed asleep due to a free period in the morning and Mary and Ethan had already left) when the doorbell rang. Audrey frowned and lowered her cup of coffee and went to open it, finding Elena Gilbert at her doorstep. Her lookalike seemed nervous and Audrey wondered why.

"Stefan called me. He said that he had something to talk about with both of us," Elena explained, placing a piece of hair behind her ear. "He asked me to come and get you."

Really? She blinked at the girl in front of her, frowning. With her too? What could it be so important that they had to tell her? She already knew everything she wanted. She didn't want to know anything else. But... what if it _was_ important? "When does he want us to appear there?" she asked, lowering her bag to the ground. She supposed she still had time before school. She had wanted to go pretty early to get used to it but she'd ask someone for help.

"Now," the Gilbert admitted sheepishly.

Audrey sighed. She should've known. "Let me just finish my coffee. Feel free to come in."

Well, this was _great_. She had hoped that today would be a easy day, with no vampire business but she was wrong. _What a shocker._ She snorted at her own sarcasm and walked into the kitchen, hearing the door close behind her as Elena entered and reached for her cup which was cold by now but she gulped it down anyway. No one should waste coffee. Audrey grabbed her phone (she's taking it everywhere since the events of the Masquerade) and keys, the two identical girls walking out of the house. She opened the door to Elena's car and sat in the passenger seat silently, as the other girl sat on the driver's seat.

The ride was awkward to say the least. The Gilbert kept giving her these looks, like she wanted to say something but she never did and Audrey just looked outside the window.

 _Why did I agree to this?_

She didn't want anything to do with this. She just wanted to go back to the normal life she had prior to that damn ball. She didn't want anything to do with the vampires or the town itself. She just wanted to live the life _she_ wanted. Not what her mother and father wanted but what Audrey herself wanted. Was that too much to ask?

Was it that wrong for her to have the life she always wanted?

 _God._

The Salvatore mansion was big. Audrey saw it before they even go into the road that led to it. It seemed like one of those old mansions and she wondered if it had been there for a while. Years, maybe? Considering that the family living in it were vampires, years was probably the answer. A century maybe. Who knows? She got out the car the moment Elena parked and the two climbed the small stairs before knocking on the door.

Damon was the one to open the door. He gave the two of them a smirk. "Hello, Elena. And Audrey, I'm assuming?"

"Yes," the Gilbert answered for her, looking uncomfortable. "Is Stefan here? He called and said it was important."

"Right this way."

The man moved out of the way, letting the to girls in. As soon as she was inside, Audery was in awe. The house - no, _mansion_ \- was huge. Bigger than it seemed from outside. It looked almost like the inside of a palace in her mind. She wondered if she'd get lost in it if she walked deeper inside. And how _much_ money did the Salvatore brothers have exactly? Because, from what she could see, they're probably rich as hell.

"So, _where_ is Stefan?" she asked, moving her attention to Elena, who looked even more uncomfortable with the mention of the vampire. Audrey raised a eyebrow. What was wrong with her? "Is he asleep or something?"

"I'm here."

Stefan appears from somewhere and Audrey feels everything around her turn even _more_ awkward. She looked between the other three and sighed. God, is there something between the three of them?

"Elena said you wanted me to be here too?" she asked, trying to dissolve the atmosphere. She crosssed her arms. "So, what's up?"

The guy didn't even get to answer when someone else stepped into the hallway. Audrey's eyes widened in recognition and Elena subconsciously took a step backwards. Rose raised one of her hands as if she was telling them to calm down and tried to smile but was unable to. The identical girls looked at each other and then back at the older vampire.

"Why is she here?" the Gilbert asked, not taking her eyes off Rose.

"Why don't you two sit down and we'll explain?" Stefan offered instead, mentioning towards the big area with the fire place which was - from what Audrey could see - the living room.

Not seing any reason to disagree, she was the first to step inside, immediately sitting on the biggest couch and pulling her knees to her chest as Elena took the seat next to her. Rose remained standing but she aproached the two girls slowly to be in front of them, while Stefan chose to sit on a chair, next to Elena's side and Damon also stayed up, eyeing Rose as he drank a glass of bourbon.

"Okay," the woman started, ending the awkward silence that had formed. "You have to understand I only know what I picked up over the years and I don't know what's true and what's not true. It's the problem with all of this vampire crap. But Klaus? I know he's _real_."

"Who is he?" Elena asked.

"One of the Originals," the dark haired Salvatore answered, taking a sip from his drink. "He's a _legend_."

 _Was that sarcasm?_ Audrey thought to herself, eyeing the vampire weirdly.

"From the first generation of vampires," Stefan added.

First... generation? "Like Elijah?"Audrey wondered out loud.

"No," Rose shook her head. "Elijah was the _Easter bunny_ compared to _Klaus._ Klaus is the real deal."

"Klaus is known to be the _oldest_."

Time seemed to pause for a moment as the two girls registered all that. "So what you're saying is-" Elena began saying.

"That the oldest vampire is _history_ is coming here to use one of us in a sacrifice?" Audrey finished, sending a apologetic look towards her look alike for interrupting what she was saying.

"Yes." "No." Came Rose's and Stefan's replies.

"What they're saying is," Damon began clarifying, walking around the room. "I mean, if what she's saying is true..."

"Which it is," Rose piped in, nodding.

"And you're not just saying that so we won't kill you," he continued, giving her a look.

"Which I'm not," she stated clearly.

"Then we're looking at a solid _maybe_ ," he finished, not sparing the other vampire of a glare.

 _Well, that doesn't sound like a nice_ maybe, Audrey thought, biting her thumb's nail. She leaned back against the couch, eyeing the ceiling. So, she had a potential psychopath that wants to use one of two seventeen year old girl in a sacrifice after her.

 _Great_.

"Look, Elijah's dead, right? So no one knows you two exist," Stefan tried to reassure them.

"Not that you know of," Rose spoke up.

Damon gave her a glare, "That's not helping."

Not helping at all. Audrey was beginning to feel even more nervous with what the woman had said. So there could be someone out there that knew about them? And here was she thinking that with Elijah dead things could somewhat turn normal.

Well, as normal as it can be in Mystic Falls.

"Look," she looked up to face the youngest Salvatore, who she was sure was going to keep reassuring them that nothing was wrong. "I've never met anyone whose laid eyes on him. I mean, we're talking about _centuries_ of truth with _fiction_. We don't know if he's real. For all we know, he could just be some scary bed time story."

She felt free to breathe normally with that. So there _was_ a chance that Klaus wasn't real. Hopefully, that's the truth and she can go live her life without _this_.

But Rose... She seemed to be the one that didn't care if she was destroying the girl's hope with her words, "He's _real_ and he _doesn't_ give up. If he wants something, he gets it," the woman looked at her and Elena with a completely serious stare. "If you're not afraid of Klaus, then you're a idiot."

"Alright, we're shaking," Damon snapped, rolling his eyes. "You've made your point."

Well, not shaking _exactly_ but definitely more nervous than before. Audrey hugged her knees even tighter, her thoughts a mess. So there wasn't a way that any of this could be _not_ true. Klaus existed and he was coming after her and Elena. There wasn't a way for that to not be true. And if he came after them, their families are in horrible danger. She needs to tell Mark what she learned so they can protect Ethan and Sophie...

Oh god, _Ethan and Sophie_.

They were completely unaware of any of this. They didn't know about vampires, about anything really. Being in the dark may protect them but they were her family and that alone would make them a target until this situation is over.

 _I need to talk with Mary about this when I get home._

"Audrey," she jumped in surprise when a hand touched her shoulder and relaxed when it was just Elena. Her lookalike smiled in apology, "I'm going to school. Do you want a ride?"

She nodded immediately because there was _no way_ she was going back on foot and there was no reason for her to refuse. She picked up her bag and both girls made their way to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked, standing up as well.

She and Elena shared a look. "School," the Gilbert responded. "We're late and I'm going to show Audrey the school so she doesn't get lost."

"Let me grab my stuff and I'll go with you."

"It's okay," Elena said, stopping the younger vampire from walking away. "I know where it is."

Audrey waved with a small, hesitant smile towards the brothers and Rose as well (because despite everything that Rose did, the teen believed that she was nice) before following the other girl to the door, catching them _she's in denial_ from Damon making her roll her eyes. She was sure that Elena wasn't in denial. Not when her life was in danger. She placed her bag in the back of the car and her lookalike began driving away from the mansion, onto the familiar roads of the center of Mystic Falls.

"So," Elena began saying hesitantly, sounding kind of nervous. "I'm not going to school. Not _exactly_."

Audrey narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"I'm actually going to talk to Katherine," the Gilbert revealed.

Wait, what what _what_? "Katherine? As in the vampire Katherine who strangled me because she thought I was you? The vampire who looks exactly like us? _That_ Katherine?"

"... yes?"

"Why?" she honestly wanted to know. She didn't get the reason why Elena would want to talk to a vampire that wanted to kill her. "And how? Do you even know where she is?"

"The tomb," Elena explained. "There's a secret tomb that witches spelled to hold vampires and we - well, Stefan and Damon - were able to put Katherine inside it so she can't get out."

Somehow, that actually made sense. After everything that she went through the day before, Audrey couldn't bring herself to not believe in anything of the supernatural anymore. "Okay, and _why_ do you want to talk with her?"

"Well, if Klaus wants one of us then that must mean that he went after Katherine too, so she must know about him. I want to try and ask her about him."

"I don't think she'll tell you anything to be honest," Audrey said in all honestly because she couldn't see Katherine telling Elena anything but she's curious. "But it's worth a try, I guess."

Elena looks at her through the corner of her eye. "And I was wondering if you'd like to... come with me?"

Her eyes widened and she turned her head to stare at her lookalike in surprise. And Elena looked serious about her offer. Audrey turned to look at her hands. Would she like to see and talk to Katherine and learn more about Klaus? Yes. Was she going to trust everything that the vampire said? Probably not, but she would keep a open mind.

Did she _really_ want to do this?

Not really, but it could become useful. After all, she needed to learn everything she could about the Originals.

Was she really going to do this?

Yes. Yes, she was.

"Okay," she finally said, taking out her phone from her bag.

"Really?" Elena sounded surprised, maybe because she agreed so fast. "Are you sure? I mean, I just wondered if you wanted to and..."

Audrey nodded, opening her phone to text Sophie that she wouldn't be going to school. "I want to. Let's go."

 **xxx**

 **[SOPHIE]**

 ** _I'M_** _not going to school. I'm going into town. Don't wait for me. And don't worry about me. I'll see you after school :)_

She read the text over and over and no matter how many times she reads it, it still didn't make sense. Audrey's not one to skip school and now she's doing it on the _first, actual_ day of school. The blonde frowned and closed her flip phone, putting it on her bag. Why would she skip? What could be _so_ important that she had to do in the school time and not after it?

It didn't make _sense_.

"Sophie!"

She turned around to see the dark skinned girl that she met the day before and was friends with Elena and Caroline. What was her name? She searched through her mind quickly. Bonnie! That was her name, right? "Hey. Bonnie, right?"

The other girl smiled, nodding. "Yes. How are you adjusting?" she asked kindly, stopping right next to Sophie.

"Well, it's been years since I was last here but nothing changed," the Carsons said softly, smiling back. She looked around her towards the other students that were going inside the school. "It's still the same town that I remember. Nothing and no one changed really."

If she had looked at Bonnie at that moment, she would've seen the girl freeze momentarily and look uncomfortable, like the subject of the town not changing had affected her somehow but when Sophie did turn to face her, Bonnie had regained her composture and nodded. "Well, Mystic Falls is always the same."

Sophie laughed, agreeing completely. _Now..._ she examined the piece of paper with her classes and a small map of the school grounds. She has to find the Biology classroom. But god damn for these maps. They don't help anyone. The words can be hardly be read and the black ink was way too faded for her to undertand anything that was on it. Why do they even give these things to new students when they can't understand what's on them?

 _Jeesh_.

"Do you need help?" Bonnie asked, probably noticing the hard time that she was having reading a freaking piece of paper.

Sophie rubbed the back of her neck, feeling her cheeks darken in embarrassement. "Yeah. I thought I could figure out by myself but this damn map isn't helping me one bit."

The dark skinned girl just smiled in understanding. "I get it. It took me a hard time on my first day as well," she confessed, laughing. "Can I see your schedule?"

She didn't even need to hear the rest of setence. Immeaditely, she held out her schedule to Bonnie, who took it from her. Their hands lightly touched and then, Sophie could've sworn she _felt_ something cursing through her veins at the touch. She couldn't really describe what it was exactly but by the look on the other girl's face, she was sue Bonnie had felt it too. _What was that?_ she thought to herself, staring at her hand weirdly. It had been like a small shock, not strong enough to hurt but not weak enough to ignore.

 _Weird_.

She shrugged it off. _Probably just some static. The sun is burning today._

"So, um," her new friend seemed lost, staring at her for a moment but she just shook her head and eyed the paper. "You're supposed to be on the other side of the school, where the Biology labs are."

"And how do I get there?" Sophie asked, looking around.

Bonnie folded the paper shut and gave it back to the blonde, smiling lightly. "I can take you there if you want?" she offered. "My class is on the way there anyways."

" _Thank_ you, Bonnie. You're a life saver."

The other girl just laughed and proceeded to show her where the Biology classes where. But as she was going inside the classroom and sitting down on one of the seats, Sophie couldn't help but think back to the small incident between her and Bonnie. She stared at her hand and opened and closed it a few times, frowning.

 _What was_ that _about?_

 **xxx**

 **[AUDREY]**

 **"I CAN'T** believe I'm agreeing to this. I'm a terrible liar."

Caroline's voice was slightly whiny but she kind of understood it. After all, Elena was asking her best friend to lie to everyone about her whereabouts and that usually doesn't end up well. But she didn't lie to Sophie which was good because just like Caroline, Audrey's a _terrible_ liar.

"Please, Caroline?" Elena nearly begged, holding the strap of the bag that she was carrying a bit tighter. "I just need you to keep Stefan busy for a while. He can't know I'm doing this."

"Because he'd never agree to this, just like _I_ don't agree!" the blonde argued, looking like she wanted to rip the curls out of her head. "And you know I'm not the best at keeping people busy."

"You managed to keep me occupied when Katherine came to see Stefan," the Gilbert argued back, but not sounding particularly angry.

 _Ouch_. Caroline did that to her own best friend? Maybe she didn't have a choice to say in the matter but still... it was a bad thing to do. Audrey cringed at the thought of Sophie doing something like that to her. _Better not to think about it._

"Yeah, because she _threatened_ me, remember?" Caroline snapped, obviously still not over the whole thing. "Not that I'm saying for you to use that tactic but..." She sighed, giving Elena a hopeless look. "Stefan's going to see right through me."

"Caroline, as my friend, will you do it or not?"

The blonde's shoulders sunk, in defeat and she seemed to sulk. "You _had_ to bring out the girlfriend code. _Okay,_ I promise."

Elena smiled in thanks and the trio continued on their way through the woods and Audrey continued wondering where in the hell they were going. First, they had to stop by Elena's house because she wanted to grab some stuff and now they're in the middle of the woods. Was like the tomb under a tree or something? But then she saw it. A stone entrance that lead under the earth and to be honest, it seemed like a prison entrance.

"Why did you come with Elena?" Caroline asked her, as they descended the tight stone staircase.

Her immediate response would've been a shrug but she stopped herself before she did it. "Well," she began quietly, hands on her shorts' pockets and tried to ignore how the place they were entering really looked like a prison, which it technically is. "I need to know what's coming so I can prepare myself. Elena's not the only target. I'm potencially one too so I _need_ to learn about this Klaus guy."

"And Katherine's the only one who knows about him," Elena added, coming to a stop.

Doing the same, Audrey observed the stone in front of her. It had the drawing of a star, like the ones that are used by witches, on it but nothing else really. She had expected something else. Not sure what exactly but just _something_.

"I still don't agree with this," Caroline mumbled, staring at the stone as well. She turned to her and Elena. "Are you _sure_ you want to do this?"

" _Yes,_ Caroline," Elena immediately nodded. "I - _we_ \- need to know."

The blonde turned to her and Audrey foud herself nodding to reassure her new friend. She was fine with this. Like Elena said, they need to know. But how were they going to open the tomb? The big stone that blocked the entrance was clearly _way_ too heavy for them to push out the way and- _What?!_ Her eyes widened at the sight of Caroline grabbing the big thing with her bare hands and being able to _lift it_ and _move_ it to the side. She took a step backwards, hitting the back wall in shock because _how was this possible?_ How could a seventeen year old girl have so much strenght?!

 _Oh, wait._

 _Waitwaitwait._

 _Right_. How she have forget it? Caroline was a vampire. Back in the Masquerade, she had showed it to her. But if she was a vampire, how could she seem so _normal_? And how was she able to walk in the sun? Weren't vampires like weak to sunlight or something? They were in Mary's stories. And Mary always said that vampires were weak to sun. Of course, back then, she didn't know that vampires existed but now... _How_ do they hang out in the sun?

"Katherine?" Elena's voice snapped Audrey out of her thoughts and back into the real world. The Gilbert took a step forward and spoke into the tomb, her voice echoing slightly. "Katherine?"

 _This is going to end up badly._

At first, there was nothing. No sound, except the girls' breathing but then, the sound of feet rasping against sand filled their ears and from the darkness of the tomb, a shadow emerged. Katherine appeared before them, looking like she'd been through hell and back. Her once perfectly shaped curls were a mess and her skin was dark and pale, from the lack of feeding most likely. She stumbled and leaned against the stone wall, not able to stand without help and eyed the Gilbert.

"Hello, Elena," she rasped out, voice just a little higer than a whisper. "You came to watch me wither away? And with company, no less."

Audrey took a step backwards when the vampire turned her eyes to her, feeling her throat tighten. She could still feel the woman's hands on her neck from the night before.

And she was able to breathe properly again when Katherine's eyes shifted to the blonde beside her. " _Goodbye_ , Caroline."

"As long as we stay outside the barrier, she can't hurt us," Elena was quick to ressure the blonde vampire when she hesitated to leave them. "Please."

Caroline's eyes moved to her and Audrey gave her a smile she hoped was convincing. She wanted to do this. She _needed_ to know and while she was grateful (and a bit surprised due to them knowing each other for a day) that Caroline was worried but this had to be done. She needed to know about Klaus and what came with him. The Forbes hesitated again but then, slowly, she made her way out of the tomb.

"Does Stefan know you're here?" Katherine asks.

Elena ignored her and took out a blanket from her back. "I've brought you some things."

"You're here to bribe me," the vampire snapped. "What is it that you want?"

The Gilbert threw the blanket towards the floor, giving her a look. "I want you to tell us about Klaus."

"Ooh," a smirk appeared on the woman's lips as she stared at the two humans. "You've been busy."

"I also brought you this," Elena took out a big, leather book that had ' _Petrova_ ' spelled on the spine. "It's your family history. It says here that your family line ended with you. _Obviously_ that's not true."

 _"He did the same mistake countless others did. He trusted Katerina Petrova,"_ Audrey remembered Rose saying. So Petrova is Katherine's real name? But why did she change it?

"You think that just because you brought me some family keepsake that I'd open up?" was the vampire's sarcastic reply.

Elena rolled her eyes, reaching inside her bag once again. "I also brought you this," she added, pulling out a bottle filled with a dark red substance.

 _Blood_ , Audrey thought immediately and jumped back with wide eyes when Katherine moved so quickly that she didn't even see it and was stopped by a invisible wall. The vampire lookalike's face shifted and dark veins appeared beneath her red eyes and she growled at them, eyes on the bottle. Her heart pumped so fast that the Carsons had to lean against the wall to calm down.

 _God, if it wasn't for that invisible wall, we'd be dead._

"You don't look so good," she heard Elena say, tone not necessarily caring. "How long until your body shuts down? Ten? Twenty years? It must be painful to dessicate and mummify. I can't even _imagine_."

She just watched Elena and Katherine stare hard at each other for a few seconds until the lookalike locked in the tomb let herself fall down so she could sit on the blanket. As her new friend poured blood into a small plastic cup, Audrey also sat down on the floor, leaning against the rock wall, waiting patiently for Elena to give the blood.

"You have the Petrova fire," Katherine swallowed the small bit of blood, her skin turning a little less pale and put the cup down so Elena could fill it. "It's a long story, Klaus and I. It goes all the way back to 1492, after I left Bulgaria. Well, _thrown_ out."

"Thrown out?" Audrey repeated, frowning.

"My family, Elena's _true_ ancestors, they disowned me. My actions were not tolerated at that time. I had a baby out of wedlock... The _shame_."

There was such a huge amount of sarcasm and venom in the single word that made Audrey shiver but she remained quiet as Elena said, "It was kept secret?"

Katherine nodded, swallowing another bit of blood. "My baby was given away and I was banished to England and I had to learn to adjust so I quickly became English. It was then I caught the eye of a man named Klaus. I was smitten with him at first but then I found what he was and what he wanted from me. And then I ran like _hell_."

"What happened next?" Audrey asked, holding her knees to her chest, wanting to know more. "Did he catch you? Was that how you turned into a vampire?"

"No, he didn't but he sent Elijah after me," Katherine explained, catching the human girls' attention with the familiar name. She drank a little more of blood and was looking much more healthy than when they got there. "I just focused on running and somewhere along the way, I got hurt and would've been much more easier to find if Trevor hadn't thrown them off in the wrong direction."

So _that's_ what Rose had meant. Trevor had helped Katherine escape from Klaus. That's what got him killed. But even so... Audrey shook her head. He was close to get his freedom.

It wasn't fair.

"So," Elena stopped giving blood for a moment, standing up. " _What_ did Klaus want?"

"The same thing he'll want from one of you. He wants to break the curse."

Right. The curse that would lead to one of them dying in the end. Why did the damn curse exist anyways?

"By sacrificing a Petrova doppelgänger," Elena stated, face paling for a moment.

"He wanted to drain every single drop of blood from my body. Although," Audrey froze when Katherine's eyes met her identical pair. She didn't like the smirk on the vampire's face. "I didn't have a spare to use instead of me, because as my witch told me, she had died way before I even knew vampires existed."

"You mean, there was another doppelgänger in your time as well?"

From what she learned from Rose, Audrey had assumed that she was a rarity, some sort of _loophole_ but if Katherine said that there was one in her time as well, that means she's not the only one.

"From what my witch told me," the vampire shrugged like it was nothing. "I would've probably used her, had she lived longer, to be able to survive but of course, _nothing_ is _that_ easy. Except maybe for _poor_ Elena apparently."

"I'm _not_ sacrificing Audrey for my sake!" Elena exclaimed immediately.

"Didn't think you would."

"And I wouldn't let anyone use me to anything," she spoke up, reminding the two arguing girls that she _was_ indeed still there. Audrey pushed herself up and leaned against the wall, looking down at the vampire doppelganger. "And one thing I noticed... I'm not a Petrova. And from what I understood, it has to be a _Petrova_ doppelganger."

 _Which means I'm safe._

But Katherine shook her head, that damn smirk of hers still on her face. "Yes, the curse has to broken by sacrificing a Petrova doppelganger but from what my witch told me - and every witch I encountered and asked about it - the _only_ purpose of the other doppelgänger that lived in my time and yours as well is to, pretty much, be used as second resource in case something happens to the original doppelgänger. My witch didn't tell me much but that was the most interesting part."

 _Great. Just_ great.

So the only reason she's alive is because nature wanted to give the original doppelgänger another chance to live and screw whoever had to be sacrificed for it to come through. "I'm not going to be some sacrificial lamb," she said, not letting the fear she was actually feeling come through her voice. "I wasn't born just to be sacrificed and let someone live because of my death. I will not die nor am I planning to. And Elena will stay alive as well."

"We'll find a way," Elena said, giving her a smile before turning back to the vampire, who was staring at them with something akin to anger and disgust. "But there's something I'd like to know. What does the Petrova line have to do with Klaus?"

"It's really tedious but," Katherine crushed the small plastic cup after she drank another bit of blood. "The curse was bounded by the sacrifice of Petrova blood. Witches are crafty with their spells. The doppelgänger was created as a way to be able to unde the spell. Once the doppelgänger reappeared, the curse could be broken."

"But that sounds a bit too much, doesn't it?" Audrey wondered out loud, raising her eyebrow. "I mean, why Petrova blood? Why not some other blood? Why did it have to be _especifically_ Petrova blood?"

The vampire shrugged. "Like I said, witches are crafty. They don't do something unless there's a reason."

"So you ran?" Elena asked, holding her knees even closer to her. "Before he killed you?"

"Something like that," Katherine said vaguely, shrugging. She began playing with the plastic cup in her hand. "I reached the cottage that Trevor had sent me to and Rose was the one that was staying there. I really thought she was going to help me when I showed her the moonstone but she never really thought of protecting me when she realized I stoled it from Klaus. She wanted to deliver me to him herself."

Audrey was beginning to understand the whole story a bit better. So, something must've happened because Rose seemed really desperate to give her and Elena to Elijah. It clearly was because Trevor spared Katherine and wanted to help her but Rose wanted to give her to Klaus. Those different opinions must've been hard to go over. But if Rose took her to Klaus, then she wouldn't be able to be alive. _Unless_ , she was never taken to him. "You weren't taken back to Klaus, were you?"

"No," the vampire answered. "And it wasn't because Rose ad a change of heart. She'd never have a cange of heart because of me. Se was scared out of her mind because of what Trevor did to help me. And back then... I really wanted to die," Audrey's eyes widened in surprise and she shared a look with Elena, who looked just as surprised. "You may not believe me but it's true. I didn't want to die because of some stupid sacrifice. I tried to end my life but Rose caught me before I could. Se gave me her blood to heal me and that's when I had another idea."

Audrey shivered, already knowing what she was going to say. It was pretty obvious.

"I killed myself after taking the blood," Ktherine explained, even though she didn't really have to.

"You _killed_ yourself?" Elena gasped, sounding horrified.

"Klaus needed a _human_ doppelgänger," the vampire stated. "As a vampire, I was no longer of any use to him."

Audrey supposed that made sense. It was a brilliant plan but she didn't really think that Klaus would give up _that_ easily. He doesn't seem like that sort of person. "But he still went after you," she guessed out loud. "Because by turning into a vampire, you ruined his plans so he wanted his revenge on you. He's probably been after you these five hundred years."

 _Because it's not really hard to guess what a villain would do._

"That's right," Katherine agreed, eyeing her with something that resembled surprise on her face but it faded almost imediately. "I underestimated his wanting for vengance. And living in a suitcase is better than having your blood spilled over some silly, little rock."

 _That we can both agree on._

But Elena didn't look that good. She was pale and sweating. Audrey thought of reaching for her hand, to reassure her that they'd be okay but she couldn't find the will to do so. Sh'd just be filling the girl's hope. She didn't know how this was going to end. She just knew that she was going to do _everything_ to be able to survive. And she'd help Elena do the same, if her new friend accepts her help.

"What's wrong?" the vampire's taunting voice reached her eyes. But she was talking to Elena and staring at her with a smirk. "Afraid I'm right? You don't want to die? There's another way out," She cut her wrist with her long nail, making it bleed and Audrey turned away almost imediately, refusing what she was saying. And she's hoping Elena will do the same. "Better hurry. Your chance is going, going, going _aaand_ gone. I made the other choice."

Which isn't really the best choice. Audrey didn't know what is worse. Having your blood spilled because of some curse or living a eternity with blood lust and hiding from the sun. Actually, how did Caroline and all the other vampires she met walked in the sun? It didn't burn them. Were they under a spell or something? She can't forget to ask the next time she's with them. And now that she realizes, Katherine just used Rose and Trevor to get what she wanted. She just used them and left them to fend for themselves. Such cruelty. And what's worse than that?

It's the fact that Audrey was afraid she'd do the same were she in that kind of situation.

 _Because it wasn't really hard for me to think of sacrificing Elena to save my ass._

"Rose and Trevor spent the last five hundred years running, just because you used them," Elena said, her voice rising as she got angrier. "Trevor just got _killed_!"

"Never thought he would last this long," was the vampire's careless respionse.

Audrey tried hard to not think about the events of the day before. She _really_ did but they seemed to invade her mind like a parasite. The blood, the body, the _head_. She used her arms to hug herself, as if to shield her body but she knew that there was nothing to do. The images were now in her nightmares after all.

"You don't even care that you ruined their lives."

"I was looking out for myself, Elena," Katherine replied, looking between the two girls. "I will _always_ look out for myself. If you're smart, you two will do the same."

 _I'm going to do the same._

 **xxx**

 **[SOPHIE]**

 **"MOM,** I'm home."

She closed the door behind her and let her bag fall to the floor as she wrote another messege on her phone to Audrey. She wasn't picking up, which probably meant her phone was on silent mode nor was she answering her messages. Sophie was beginning to get worried. This wasn't like her friend at all.

"Hey, Soph," the mother came out of the kitchen, brushing her hands on her apron. "How was school?"

"Good," the teenager answered, placing her phone on her pocket and walking past her mother, giving er a kiss on the cheek. "Is Audrey home?"

Her mother frowned, giving her a weird look. "No. You were supposed to come back home together."

Damn. Sophie can't say that Audrey skipped her first day of classes. The woman would kill her. But what else could she say? That she stayed back to met up with someone she met? That she wetn to buy a book or something? She has to say something. "She, huh... She's with our new friends!"

"New friends?" her mother's frown didn't leave her face but she looked somewhat more relaxed. "Did they go into town?"

"Yup." _Please believe me, please believe me._

Her mother seemed to buy it as she nodded and they both walked into the kitchen. Sophie reached for a apple and bit on it. Thank god her mother believed her. She doesn't know what would've happened if she didn't. The last time Audrey got really late home, which was the day before actually, her mother had been _so_ worried. And the way her best friend got home, crying and looking like she was broken, just enlarged the worry that Sophie's mother had felt. Hell, Sophie got so worried to and watching her best friend break down like, definately does not help. Thankfully, she got better. At least, Sophie thinks so.

She hasn't seen her since the middle of the night.

Her phone isn't receiving anything either. God, she's really worried.

"Soph?"

The girl jumped slightly when her mother's hand touched her own and she laughed nervously. "Sorry. Lost in my thoughts. What's up?"

"Are you alright?" her mother asked in concern. "You look really out of it."

 _No, I'm not fine_ , it's what she really wanted to say but she doesn't want to worry her mother so she just smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "I'm fine," she reassured the woman but then rememebred something. That weird moment with Bonnie. The static. It wasn't the weirdest thing that has happened to her but it definately joined the list. Should she... ask? Sure, what's the worst that could happen? "Hey, mom?"

"Hm?" her mother raised her head from the recipie book she was reading.

The young girl bit down on her lip, considering what to say. "Have you ever... had weird things happen to you?" she asked, trying not to sound weird.

"Weird things?" She just nodded, hoping her mother would say yes. "Well," her mother seemed to hesitate. "Not really. What weird are you talking about, Sophie?"

"Remember last time I was really angry?" her mother nodded so she continued, "Well, the glass that I'd been holding that time broke the moment I screamed at you. Do you remember? And... And today, when I was feeling _really_ angry at a girl for being bulliying a younger kid, the lockers around us began to shake really bad and stopped when I calmed down. And I just thought that..." _I have powers._ She mentally shook her head at her stupidity. "... that it was a _weird_ coincidence."

Her mother looked down at her hands and Sophie fell quiet. It was her impression or does her mother look... serious? Like really, really serious? She can't remember the last time she had looked like that.

"Sophie," her mother began and the girl was surprised at the use of her full name. "There's something I have to tell you."

 **xxx**

 **[AUDREY]**

 **"SO,** how much of that story is actually true?"

Elena was pacing around the small area of the tomb and Audrey was still curled up against the wall. She looked at Katherine and saw that the vampire was casually reading the book that the Gilbert had brought for her, breezing through the pages calmly.

"I have no reason to lie, Elena," the vampire doppelgänger replied, passing yet another page. "I have no reason to do anything but to sit here and rot."

She did have a point. Why would she bother to tell us the story if it wasn't true? For the blood? It's not like she could die or anything. She'd just dessicate until she eventually received blood. It's not the prettiest of things to happen but she's pretty much safe inside the tomb. No vampire, including Klaus, could get to her. So when Klaus gets to Mystic Falls, she'll be safe.

 _Lucky her._

"Assuming it's even partially true," the Gilbert continued to ramble to herself, still pacing from side to side. "That's why you came back, wasn't it? Because you wanted to be the one to hand me over to Klaus."

Katherine rose to her feet and leaned on the wall, shrugging. _She's been doing that a lot,_ Audrey mused to herself. "Five hundred years on the run, I figured that maybe he'd be willing to strike a deal. And now with two doppelgängers," She smirked smugly. "Can't say that he won't take that deal."

 _Bitch_ , Audrey thought imediately, glaring at the vampire. Like she said before, she'd not going to be some sacrificial lamb. Damnit, she left New York because she wanted a new life, not this.

"So you got Mason Lockwood to find you the moonstone," Elena realized out loud, finally coming to a stop.

"Right again."

Mason Lockwood? Well, that's a new name. Isn't Lockwood the surname of the woman who had the Masquerade? Maybe Mason is her son?

And the Gilbert wasn't done. "What else is needed to break the curse?" she asked, taking a step forward.

There's something else needed? Audrey frowned, not sure if she wanted to keep hearing this. Maybe it was a bad idea coming here. God, what is wrong with this town?

"Look who's getting smarter and smarter," the girl trapped in the tomb smirked, crossing her arms.

"It's not just the doppelgänger or the stone, is it?" Elena began pacing around but this time Audrey stepped to her side and made her stop. "Otherwise, there'd be no reason for you to trigger Tyler Lockwood's werewolf curse."

Wait- _Werewolves_ too? _Seriously, what is_ wrong _with this place?_ It seems like every kind of supernatural creature exists in Mystic Falls. First vampires, then witches and after that werewolves. What else? Talking animals? God.

"Witches and their spells," Katherine mock sighed. "So many ingredients, so many people to sacrifice."

So there has to be more victims, oter than the doppelgänger? "So... a werevolf is needed?" Audrey asked out loud, without meaning to.

"Believe it or not, they're hard to come by."

"What else?" Elena asked, taking another step forward towards the tomb.

"A witch to do the spell," Katherine explained. "Mine bailed, but Bonnie will do just fine."

Another step forward. "What _else_?"

"A vampire."

Audrey could see realization appearing on Elena's face as her eyes widened in shock. "Caroline," she heard the straight haired girl breathe out.

"It could've been anyone, I suppose," the vampire shrugged yet again and Audrey was beginning to hate the motion. "But I like the poetry of Caroline."

"So you're just going to hand us all over to get killed."

Katherine stared at the two of them with narrowed eyes. "Better you die, than I," she said with no sympathy and focused her gaze on Elena. "And you're lucky. You have a way to get out of the situation. I _didn't_."

And she turned back to walk into the tomb, away from sight. Silence fell between the two girls. Now, Audrey was the one pacing around. She began going over all the things she learned. First, her whole existence - _supposedly_ \- was to be the sacrifice instead of the original doppelgänger, so the original could live. But she still doesn't know _why_ were other doppelgängers created. Was it witches that created the spare? Or maybe something else? She didn't know. Second, werewolves exist which wasn't as shoking as she was expecting. And third, there are more victims to this curse.

Well. This just keeps getting better and better.

"Elena!"

The voice came echoing down the stairs and soon enough, the guy - _Stefan_ \- came running down the stairs and gathered Elena into his arms almost immediately. Audrey felt a smile twitching up her lips but a small sound made her turn her head and she saw that Katherine had returned and was now watching the scene with a unimpressed look.

"What are you doing here?" the Gilbert asked, stepping away from the guy's arms.

"I could ask you two the same thing," he countered, looking from her to Audrey and back again.

Elena sighed. "Caroline told you."

"No, she kept your secret," Stefan assured her but he was frowning in displeasure. "But it didn't take long for me to realize what was so important that you'd have to keep from me."

"I knew you'd stop me!"

"Listen to me," he stressed out, before pointing to where the vampire doppelgänger was watching carefully. He looked at Audrey to make sure she was listening too. "Whatever she said to you two is a lie. She is a liar."

"You didn't hear what she said," Elena said.

As the couple continued to talk to each other, Audrey reached for her phone and saw the time. 7:22pm. God damnit. Mary, Ethan and Sophie must be worried sick. And from the missed calls and messages she had on her phone, that was pretty clear. Why did she put her phone on silent again? She tried to call one of them but she couldn't. There was no cell service in the tomb. She needs to go home. She can't stay here.

"There's nothing you can do, Stefan," Katherine's voice reached her ears and she turned around to face her. "I haven't even told you two the best part of the story. I thought that his revenge would be only on me. I as the one that went behind his back, after all. But no. I went back home, hoping to be with my family again at least one more time but... I found my father with a sword through his chest. My mother and sisters pale and with their necks broken."

Audrey couldn'thelp but feel pain at hearing that. Finding your family dead... She can't even imagine that.

"He killed them," the vampire continued, staring hard at them. "My entire family. Just to get back at me for running. Whatever you two do to escape Klaus, he will get his venagance on your friends, family and on anyone you ever loved."

That's it. She can't take this anymore. Audrey bolted out of there, rushing up the stairs. Once she was outside, she tried to calm her breathing but it wouldn't. Her heart was beating like crazy and it felt like she was having a panic attack. _This can't be happening_ , she told herself, shutting her eyes tightly, hands buried in her curls. _This_ _definately_ can't _be happening._ It's too much. She can't handle this. She needed to tell someone, anyone. Se wanted to be back home, where it was safe. She wished she never accepted the Carsons invitation to come here. She should've never come here.

This town isn't a new beginning.

Mystic Falls was going to become her grave.

 **xxx**

 **This is a big one. To compensate the time away. I'm sorry once again for that. And as you can see, the Audrey's existance has an explanaition and what Katherine said is somewhat a part of it. But it'll be fully explained in the future, in later chapters.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you see any grammatical error, please ignore it. I don't have auto correct on so they'll be my responsability.**

 **Bye guys~ See you next chapter!**


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